


Soothe the Savage Breast

by Mezo_Phane



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Classical Music, Armitage Hux & Ben Solo Friendship, Armitage Hux Has Feelings, Armitage Hux Has Issues, Armitage Hux Is a Jerk…, Armitage Hux Needs A Hug, Armitage Is a Pianist, Background Reylo, Ben Is a (Painfully) Shy Boi, Ben Is a Violinist, Cello, Classical Music, Classical Music References, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, F/M, Friends to Lovers, It’s Star Wars… But They’re Classical Musicians, Music, Musicians, Piano, Rey & Rose Tico Friendship, Rey Is a Violinist, Rey Is an Adorable Spitfire, Romance, Rose Is a Cellist, Rose Tico Is a Ray of Sunshine, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, The Classical Musicians AU You Never Knew You Needed, The First Order and The New Republic Are Rival Orchestras, Violins, but she also needs a hug, mention of relatives dying, until he isn’t
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:54:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25744672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mezo_Phane/pseuds/Mezo_Phane
Summary: Majorly edited 1/9/21, please re-read from the start if you’ve already begun reading this!First Order Symphony and New Republic Philharmonic have always had a tenuous relationship throughout their ages-old cold war.  There were only two rules: don’t play the same repertoire as the other within a season, and don’t poach each other’s players.When world-class French Horn player Finnegan Trooper leaves First Order Symphony to play for New Republic Philharmonic, the conflict intensifies, leaving the warring orchestras one choice: a joint concert with members of their orchestras and their Artists in Residence — Rose Tico and Rey Palpatine for New Republic, Armitage Hux and Ben Solo for First Order.Can these musicians come together to play beautiful music, and perhaps, find something more along the way?
Relationships: Armitage Hux & Ben Solo, Armitage Hux/Rose Tico, Rey & Rose Tico, Rey/Ben Solo
Comments: 34
Kudos: 37





	1. Prelude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Majorly edited 1/9/21, so please re-read from the start if you’ve already begun reading this!
> 
> Alright. This story needed a lot of edits once I took a long, hard look at it. A lot. I felt it needed work to get it up to a level I wanted it to be at. I thought I was happy with where it was before, but on further consideration, it needed work. It was not my best writing. So after a lot of meditation, I buckled down, and edited it to a level I thought was acceptable. So here is “Soothe the Savage Breast”, edited to an inch of its life, with a new moodboard, courtesy of my lovely mother, who again bravely sacrificed her search history, and completed.
> 
> Inspired by this [tumblr post](https://loweryourriskofheartdisease.tumblr.com/post/619671242784571392/gingerrose-musicians-au-music-is-a-language).
> 
> I couldn’t resist.
> 
> And for those of you who want to listen to the music I mention in this work, here’s the [Spotify playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1emzq7L1pGxsCRg0no1hKV?si=QpoGoFzBQIGQvvB6PGRSCw)!
> 
> Special, special thanks to my wonderful, amazing, and marvelous Mom, who edited my work, and surprised me with the brand new moodboard below!
> 
> Thank you (again) for sacrificing your internet history, Mom!

* * *

It all began when world-class French Horn player Finnegan Trooper left First Order Symphony and signed a five season contract with New Republic Philharmonic.The two orchestras had had a tenuous relationship throughout their ages-old cold war.There were only two rules: don’t play the same repertoire as the other within a season, and don’t poach each other’s players. 

The cold war heated up when news of Finnegan Trooper’s “Betrayal” of First Order Symphony broke throughout the Arts and Culture sections of every paper in the metropolitan area of Chandrila.Eventually, Enric Pryde and Leia Organa, the owners and directors of the orchestras, became so exasperated, that they had a meeting, to try to sort out the mess.

As a token of detente, they decided on a joint concert, with members of their orchestras and their Artists in Residence playing beautiful music together.The combined orchestras, conducted by Gwendolyn Phasma and Poe Dameron, the conductors of both First Order and New Republic respectively, would play several pieces together.Their Artists in Residence would play one solo each, then Artists in Residence from either orchestra would play duets.Afterwards, a quartet made up of all four Artists in Residence would play together, and finally, they would play one piece together with the orchestra. 

Each orchestra had world-class soloist Artists in Residence. 

New Republic Philharmonic had cellist Rose Tico, a graduate of the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, who had been discovered by the famed conductor Oma Tres at the Ravinia Festival, winner of the International Paulo Cello Competition, and also a winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition, whose star had been rising steadily over the last five years.

English violinist Reyna “Rey” Palpatine, granddaughter of the legendary violinist Stephen Palpatine, graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, and a winner of the Menuhin Competition and the International Anton Rubinstein Competition. 

First Order Symphony had British pianist Armitage Hux, a Juilliard graduate, who had surged onto the classical music scene after winning the International Chopin Piano Competition, and after, the Tchaikovsky Competition with his revelatory rendition of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 several years ago.

Violinist Ben Solo, also a graduate of Juilliard, (and Armitage’s classmate, as well as his best friend) who had won the Menuhin Competition and the Queen Elisabeth Competition, whose pedigree of being the grandson of the also-legendary pianist Anakin Skywalker, nephew of Rock God, Luke Skywalker, guitarist of the 70’s and 80’s band Red Squadron, (who are still popular to this day — the makers of hits like “Ladder to Your Heart”, “Mos Eisely”, and “Black Tooka”) and Leia’s son with her husband, retired ace Air Force fighter pilot, Col. Buchanan “Han” Solo, was highly impressive, but as impressive as it was, his playing was even more so.

After consulting with their respective orchestras and Artists in Residence, Pryde and Organa had agreed on the following program.

L. v. Beethoven’s “5th Symphony”

All Movements

1-2 Conducted by Poe Dameron of New Republic Philharmonic

3-4 Conducted by Gwendolyn Phasma of First Order Symphony

W. A. Mozart’s “Symphony No. 40”

1st movement

Conducted by Gwendolyn Phasma

D. Shostakovich’s “Waltz No. II” from _Jazz Suite no. II_

Conducted by Poe Dameron

10 minute intermission

J. Massenet’s “Meditation” from _Thaïs_

Played by Ben Solo accompanied by the combined orchestra, conducted by Poe Dameron

P. d. Sarasate’s “Zigeunerweisen”

Played by Reyna Palpatine accompanied by the combined orchestra, conducted by Gwendolyn Phasma

C. Saint Saëns’ “Mon Coeur S’ouvre à Ta Voix” from _Samson and Delilah_ (Arranged for Cello and Orchestra by O. W. Kenobi)

Played by Rose Tico accompanied by the combined orchestra, conducted by Gwendolyn Phasma

F. Liszt’s “La Campanella in G-Sharp Minor” (From _Grandes études de Paganini_ S. 141/3)

Played by Armitage Hux

P. d. Sarasate’s “Navarra for Two Violins”

Played by Ben Solo and Reyna Palpatine accompanied by the combined orchestra, conducted by Poe Dameron

E. Morricone’s “Gabriel’s Oboe” from _The Mission_ (Arranged for cello, violin, and orchestra by A. Ventress)

Played by Rose Tico and Ben Solo accompanied by the combined orchestra, conducted by Gwendolyn Phasma

L. v. Beethoven’s “Violin Sonata no. 9” (“Kreutzer”)

Played by Reyna Palpatine and Armitage Hux

A. Piazzolla’s “Soledad” (Arranged for cello and piano by I. Versio)

Played by Rose Tico and Armitage Hux

P. I. Tchaikovsky’s “Theme from Swan Lake” from _Swan Lake_ (Arranged for 2 violins, cello, and piano by P. Koon)

Played by the Artists in Residence

A. Copeland’s “Hoe Down” from _Rodeo_

Played by the combined orchestra and Artists in Residence, conducted by Poe Dameron

The first rehearsal was unproductive, much to the frustration of Pryde and Organa.

The four Artists in Residence stonily stared at each other from opposing sides of the stage in Mothma Hall at the Windu Center for the Performing Arts. Pryde and Organa tried to restrain their exasperation with all of their musicians.At the end of her tether, Leia shouted, “I have had it up to _here_ with all of you!!This concert is in eight weeks and I will not have it said that we didn’t know how to work with each other.”

Enric concurred with Leia, “She’s right.Unless you want to risk your reputations by putting on a shoddy concert, you will work together.I expect nothing but professionalism from you.”

Nodding at each other, Enric and Leia strode off stage, leaving the four musicians to work with each other.

Sighing, Rose stepped forward first, and knowing that her duet with Armitage Hux was more challenging than the one with Ben Solo, she went over to the redhead, extending her hand.“I’m Rose Tico,” she neutrally said.

The man, looking down at her from his rather considerable height, brusquely said in his crisp British accent, “Armitage Hux,” glancing at her extended hand.After a beat, as if it pained him, he shook her hand tightly for a brief second.And then he strode off to the back of the stage, leaving a consterned Rose in his wake.

Huffing, she carefully hefted her Guarneri del Gesù cello onto her shoulders and ran after him.“Hey!Hey, wait up, where are you going?”

He whirled around, his black, heavy wool coat swirling at his ankles.“To our assigned practice room, Miss Tico, did you not get the email Mr. Pryde and Mrs. Organa sent?”He replied, an imperious look on his face. 

She had only skimmed it, in her rush to get to practice on time.Stammering, she said, “I did, but I thought we could get to know each other first?”

“You are Rose Marie Tico, 26 years old, graduate of the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia in 2016, discovered by Maestro Oma Tres that same year, and you have since enjoyed popularity as one of classical music’s best cellists.There.I know about you.My name is Armitage Kenneth Hux, 35 years old, a graduate of Juilliard in 2007, and winner of the Tchaikovsky Competition in 2011, which has given me a reputation as one of the best pianists in classical music.Now you know about me.Let’s practice.”At this, he turned back around, resuming his walk.

Muttering uncomplimentary things under her breath, she followed him to a room in the practice hall of the Windu Center.Taking off his coat, he meticulously rolled up his charcoal gray shirtsleeves, and played a chord progression on the piano’s keyboard, nodding when he found it satisfactory. 

Rose set up, sat, and checked her tuning.

“Have you warmed up?”He asked.

“Yes.”

“Good.Let’s begin.”For a first time practice with a person she barely knew, she thought it went well, but definitely could use some improvement. 

“That was okay,” she said, after the last note had faded away.

“You have very low standards, Miss Tico,” was his sardonic rejoinder.

“I didn’t say it was performance ready.But for a first time, that’s decent.We need to work on our timings.We’re not even getting into the expressivity we need to put into this piece.”

Placated, he said, “From the top then?”

“From the top.”

The second time was better.At the third time through, Hux huffed, and cried, “Stop, stop, stop!”

Disgruntled at a perfectly decent run-through being ruined, Rose said, “What?”

Hux folded up his sheet music and stowed it in his portfolio. 

“What are you doing?”

“What does it look like?”

“Like you want this practice to be over.”

“That’s hardly the point, Miss Tico, but to clarify, I will be playing from memory from now on.”

“Have you played this before today?”

“Never.”

Rose was incredulous.“Then how —“

“Photographic memory.”

“Oh.”

Hux continued, “Shall we pick up from where we left off?”

Rose nodded.

The rehearsal went somewhat smoother after that, and they were able to begin identifying the rough passages, though there was still quite a lot of iciness between them, because of his standoffish personality.

“I will see you the day after tomorrow, Miss Tico,” were his only words at the end of the rehearsal, and then he walked off.

Rose sighed for the umpteenth time this day, wondering how on earth she managed to get saddled with such an ornery son-of-a-bantha.

Rose was walking down the steps of the Windu Center when Rey jogged up to her.“Hey,” she brightly said.

“Hey, Rey!How was your practice with Ben Solo?”

She pursed her lips, considering.“It was a bit awkward at first, he was so shy.But then we started playing, and it went well after that.Music really is a universal language.How about you?How was rehearsal with the famed Armitage Hux?”

Rose tried to say something decent about the man.“He’s an excellent musician.And he had the piece memorized after running through it less than three times.Apparently, he has a photographic memory.”

“That’s good.”

The two friends were silent as they walked to the street to hail cabs to their respective apartments. They were standing at the curb when Rey blurted, “He was a jerk, wasn’t he?”

Relieved, Rose said, “Oh yes.Like you wouldn’t believe.How did you know?”

“The look on your face.Now I know what I’m in for.I have to rehearse with him tomorrow, but at least I’m prepared now.I’m sorry you had to deal with that.But hey, if it makes you feel better, you’ll be practicing with Ben tomorrow.”

“I am?”

“Yeah, we alternate rehearsing with each other’s pairs every day.It was in the email Mr. Pryde and Mrs. Organa sent out.You didn’t read it?

“So, that’s what it’s going to be like from now until the concert?At least Solo seems okay to work with from what you’ve said.”

Rey smiled, “Yeah, Ben’s great to work with.”

“Oh, so it’s _Ben_ now?”Rose waggled her eyebrows.

Rey scoffed and playfully bumped Rose’s shoulder.Fortunately, Rey managed to hail the first taxi, so she was able to escape more ribbing.

The next day came and found Rose on the stage with a truly awkward Ben Solo.Rey wasn’t kidding when she said the man was shy.

“How fast do you think we should take this?”She asked.

“I think we should just play and see how it goes.”

He was a truly expressive player, and though she was the lead on this piece, she almost got lost in the music when she heard him play.This was his comfort zone, and it was incredible to hear and see him.There was a delicacy and tenderness, yet strength and clarity in his playing.He was a perfect match for Rey’s fire and elegant ferocity on the violin.No wonder her friend was smitten.

Her rehearsal with Ben was much more productive than her rehearsal with Hux, and she had even managed to coax a small smile and snicker from the man at one of her corny jokes.They parted with cordial nods and handshakes, and in no time, Rose again found herself bounding down the Windu Center’s steps.Rey joined her, a look of frustration and irritation on her face.

“You are a saint, Rose.I don’t know how you managed to leave the practice room without killing the man.”

“I’ve been taking ashwagandha since Curtis, that’s how.He’s just one more person who owes his life to me taking that little herb.”

“I think I should consider taking it, if I’m going to have to deal with him.”

“On a different subject, you were right.Rehearsal with Ben is so much better.He’s an amazing musician.Once we got into the music, we hit it off!He even let me hold his Strad.He’s a nice guy, and a really good violinist, I can see why you’re smitten,” Rose smirked wickedly.

“He’s such a nice guy, right?”A blush crept up Rey’s neck.

Rose’s smirk widened as she nodded knowingly.

“Maybe, a very _small_ part of me has a _slight_ infatuation with the man.”

“You’ve got a cruuuush!”She sing-songed again.

“Come off it, Rose!”Rey tried to look aggravated.

“You know I mean well, Rey,” Rose smiled, once they grew serious again. 

“I know you do, Rose.But breathe a word of this to Ben, and I swear I will kill you.”

Rose mimicked zipping her lips and throwing away an imaginary key.

* * *

_**Five Days Later** _

Rose and Hux had finally managed to iron out the difficult passages in “Soledad”, and were now beginning to focus on the emotionality of the piece. 

“What _now_ , Miss Tico,” Hux exasperatedly asked as she had to interrupt him for the millionth time.

“ _Where’s_ the rubato?We need the delicacy, the sensitivity!I know you can do it, I’ve heard you do it in “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini” and “Nocturne in E Flat Major”.You can do it here.”Rose had spent quite a bit of time watching his performances on YouTube, and had listened to all his albums on Spotify.He was a phenomenon, an experience on the piano.He was the next Ashkenazy, the next Barenboim, maybe even the next Van Cliburn, so it stunned Rose that he seemed emotionally hamstrung on this piece.

“Fine.”He clenched his jaw, apparently as irritated as she was.

They started from the rehearsal mark before the passage Rose called him out on, and when they hit the same part, Rose once again stopped him.

“ _What_ do you _want_ from me _now_?!”He shouted.

“I want us to touch the hearts of the audience.I know _I_ can do it, I know _you_ can do it, why can’t _we_ do it?”

He silently fumed, staring at Rose.Refusing to back down, she held his stare as long as he held hers.From the look in his green-gray eyes, something deep within him seemed to break.“I will play this whole thing, once more, from the top.If you are still not happy with it, we will stop.”

“Alright,” she conceded.If he messed it up one more time, she wouldn’t have to see his face again until the day after tomorrow. 

Hux played the piano introduction as she had never heard him, or anyone else play it.She was so stunned that she almost missed her entrance — but instinct saved her from that.

It was beautiful, moving, and haunting; and Rose had tears in her eyes as the final harmonic died away.

“That was astounding, Hux,” she whispered, not wanting to break the moment they had created in this small practice room.

He looked up from where his head was bent over the keyboard and met her eyes.What she saw there caught her unexpectedly.He looked as if his heart had been flayed open, laid bare for the world to see.Part of her wanted to look away, but the other part of her was transfixed.In the quietest voice she had ever heard him use, he spoke, sending a razor sharp blade through the room’s atmosphere.“Please leave me now, Miss Tico,” he said with intensity.

Not once had he ever said “please” to her in their almost week-long acquaintance.Quickly, she gathered and kept her things before slipping out of the room.Not long after, she heard a violent sound of someone slamming his hands on a piano’s keys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Prelude is a musical composition, (usually brief) that is generally played as an introduction to another, larger musical piece.
> 
> Yes, Red Squadron is totally Led Zeppelin, and Luke is Jimmy Page. 
> 
> “Ladder to Your Heart” = “Stairway to Heaven”  
> “Mos Eisley” = “Kashmir”  
> “Black Tooka” = “Black Dog”
> 
> And if you want to know, here’s the rest of Red Squadron: 
> 
> Wedge Antilles = Robert Plant  
> Wes Janson = John Paul Jones  
> Biggs Darklighter = John Bonham
> 
> Come scream with me on [tumblr](https://oh-great-authoress.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> Please Read & Review!


	2. Agitato

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we see into Armitage’s head, and drama ensues at the first orchestral rehearsal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Majorly edited 1/9/21, please re-read from the start if you’ve already begun reading this!
> 
> Thank you to all of you who commented, left kudos, and bookmarked! 
> 
> I appreciate all your support!

Armitage took a deep breath, massaging his hands where he had slammed them against the keys.Rose was an… infuriating woman.She dredged up unexpected emotions and expected nothing but the best from him.He had extremely high demands of himself, but it had been a very long time since someone else had expected that from him without a beating accompanying that expectation.

He was the illegitimate son of English defense contractor, Brendol Hux, owner of Hux Industries, with Deonagh Weldon, an Irish maid in his household.She was a gentle and kind woman, nothing at all like his father.For the first five years of his life, he lived in the servant’s quarters with his mother, as Armitage Weldon.But when Brendol’s wife, Maratelle, proved barren, Armitage was ripped from Deonagh, his last name changed to Hux, and paraded around London society as the heir to the Hux fortune.

He wished his mother could see him now.Cancer had taken her in his second year at Juilliard.A kind housekeeper from the Hux estate had managed to get hold of him through his old piano teacher, Ms. Sloane, and notified him that his mother had passed in Dublin General Hospital.When he hung up, the news made him cry for the first time in years, the fact that he would be unable to attend her funeral due to his schooling and lack of funds made it all hurt more.

Rose had unknowingly dredged up old memories by forcing him to feel in front of another person.There had to be utter trust and confidence in your partner, an openness, a willingness to let each other see into the core of your being.Until now, he had been playing with shields and walls between him and Rose.He resolved to make this duet the most beautiful he would ever play.

He took up his portfolio and sped home.Throwing open the door of his apartment, he uncharacteristically carelessly tossed his coat and gloves onto his couch, and sat at the piano.He recalled the music for “Soledad” and played it once through with no regard for Rose’s part.He threw in as much emotion as he could into playing it, so much so, that as the final chord sang through his living room, he collapsed against the music ledge, out of breath and emotionally exhausted.He gasped, taking heaving breaths, feeling like the wind had been knocked out of him.Finally, he collected himself and placed his hands back on the keys and began playing it again, this time mindful of Rose’s part, weaving in the emotion he had placed into his first playthrough, but restraining it, taking it in hand so that it was not like a wild, unbroken stallion, but more like a steed yoked to Rose’s playing, which he had heard enough of to know how she would approach this piece, working in tandem with her to create art, art unbridled.

That night, as he played through the piano line as beautifully as he had ever heard it, a free, wide smile came to his lips.It fell from his face when he finished the piece, as he recalled, in a completely different light, his interactions with Rose over the last week.It made him groan — he knew he could be quite cruel without even thinking.Rose didn’t deserve any of his nasty temper, his sharp tongue.He had been careless over the last couple of decades, used to Ben knowing his sharp edges, and how he behaved.It seemed that he had to remember how to be a human being again.But he found he didn’t mind.He would apologize to Rose and ask for a fresh start, he resolved — it was the least she deserved, and he hoped that she would accept it.

* * *

Rose was standing at the curb, processing her rehearsal with Armitage. She was so lost in her thoughts, she didn’t even notice Rey walking up beside her.

“Hey, how’d your rehearsal go?”Then Rey noticed the look on her face, and she continued, “You look shaken.Did he try any funny business with you, Rose?Tell me right now.”Rey demanded, taking Rose by the shoulders.

“He didn’t try anything,” she was quick to reassure the other woman.“We actually had a really good rehearsal — well, not at first, but our last run through…”

“What?”Rey looked very interested.

“Rey.It was — he was incredible.I never knew “Soledad” could even sound that good.If we continue improving, or if we play it like we did today, we’ll be perfect.”

“So, you don’t want to kill him today, huh?”Rey smiled slightly.

Rose huffed a small laugh.“Not if I want “Soledad” to sound that good on the day of the concert.I doubt we can find anyone who can play it like he played it.Enough about my rehearsal, how was yours?”She raised a teasing eyebrow.

“It was great, I think we’re in good shape,” she said, her tone pleasant, but taciturn.

The next day brought the first rehearsal of the “Theme from Swan Lake” and “Hoedown” along with the rehearsal of the duets and solos with orchestra.This would be the first time Poe and Phasma would run through the pieces with the performers.

“Hoedown”, the duets, and solos were practiced before “Swan Lake”, so the orchestra could go home after their part was over, which was an interesting experience for Rose.They rehearsed in performance order, which meant she and Rey got to see Ben rehearse his “Meditation” from Thaïs.It was amazing to see him perform one of classical music’s most haunting pieces and it was particularly amusing to see Rey watching Ben.The only thing that would make Rose’s enjoyment of the moment more complete, would be a bucket of popcorn.

When it was over, everyone was too affected to even clap or do anything.After blinking away the emotion the piece stirred in him, Poe asked to run through it a couple of times, rerunning things here and there, so moved by Ben’s performance that he didn’t even bother wisecracking.Having run through it a final time, Poe wordlessly shook Ben’s hand, respect clearly showing in the conductor’s eyes.

Then Phasma called Rey up to the stage to play her “Zigeunerweisen”.“Damn it, Rose, how am I supposed to follow _that_?”Rey whisper-shouted to Rose, who had been sitting in the front row with her.

“You shred on that violin, Rey.Do your thing, you’ve got this — you’re Rey kriffing Palpatine,” Rose smiled, placing an encouraging hand on her shoulder.

Rey took a deep breath, “I _am_ Rey kriffing Palpatine.”Taking up her violin case, she strode to the stage.

As Rey set up on stage, Ben had come to sit three chairs down from Rose, an excited look on his face.

Rose subtly turned in her seat so she could see both Rey and Ben.At Rey’s nod, Phasma cued the orchestra and they played the powerful entrance of Sarasate’s “Zigeunerweisen”.Then Rey set her bow to the violin, and Rose saw Ben’s jaw drop, and the almost literal hearts in his eyes.

It took utmost restraint from Rose not to laugh at how he watched Rey perform. Awestruck and dumbfounded, his dropped jaw and the melting look in his eyes belied his feelings for Rey.

When Rey hit the final pizzicato, she glanced at Rose for reassurance.Grinning from ear to ear, Rose clapped enthusiastically, giving her friend two thumbs up, which deeply relieved Rey, the tension draining from her shoulders.As Rey’s gaze turned to Ben, Rose caught the enraptured looks of these two planets caught in each other’s orbit, only to be untangled by Gwendolyn asking to run through several particular passages.

When Rose’s turn came, she strode to center stage, cello and bow in hand.As the swelling strains of “Mon Coeur S’ouvre à Ta Voix” pierced the air, Rose allowed the sweeping current of the music to charge and guide her motions, and transport her to another world as she played.

In a brief pause while the orchestra played without her, Rose absently looked up at Mothma Hall’s many balconies.In the front row of the central balcony was the red-headed figure of her duet partner.From stage, she couldn’t see his face.Oddly, part of her wished and hoped that he was transfixed by her performance and as impressed with her as she was with him.

After the final note echoed around the hall, she slowly raised her head, while Ben and Rey applauded, smiling proudly.Unable to restrain herself, she looked up again at the center balcony.To her surprise, Hux stood and inclined his head as her gaze landed on him.That slight tilt of his head meant more to Rose than any applause.

Rehearsals were going smoothly until the orchestra began to rehearse “Hoe Down”.

“Okay, stop, stop,” Phasma called out. 

Poe paused mid-cue, a wondering look on his face.“What now?”

“Are you mad, Dameron, the tempo you’re taking is untenable, and not at all what Copland intended!”

“And how do you know what Copland intended?”Poe was riled up now.From her vantage point in the cello section, Rose could see the LOOK™ in his eyes.“I don’t see Aaron Copland standing around anywhere, do you?”

“Have you looked at the tempo markings, and listened to any recordings of the score like Leonard Bernstein’s recording, which, short of Copland conducting the work himself, is definitive?”

Poe stepped down from his podium as he indignantly said, “Yes, I have.FYI, Bernstein’s recording of “Rodeo” is one of my favorites, excuse me for trying to bring something new to the piece, Phasma.But then again, you wouldn’t know art if it bit you in the ass.”

“Oh yeah?You wouldn’t know subtlety if it gave you a kriffing prostate exam,” Phasma retorted.

“ _YOU_ have _no_ concept of drama, you cold bitch!”

Without anyone noticing, Hux strode into the vortex of conflict and inserted himself between the bickering conductors. 

“Mr. Dameron, perhaps you should return to the podium so we can continue and not waste the time of these musicians,” he calmly said.

Poe retorted, “How about you mind your own business, you nosy bastard?”

A look of fury darkened Hux’s face, and in fluid lightning motion, he swung a fierce blow at Poe and knocked him to the floor.

The expression of incredulity that washed over his face instantly morphed to one of anger as Poe pulled himself up to charge at Hux, but not before Phasma pushed the two of them apart, crying, “ _ENOUGH_!!!Stop this!!!”

Reclaiming control of the entire situation, Phasma shouted, “Listen up, people, we’re going to take a twenty minute break!I want you all here once I call time!”Then in a quiet voice, she took Armitage aside and said, “Go cool off, okay, Armitage?”

He curtly nodded and marched off stage. 

Phasma watched him walk off, then turned to Rose.“You’re Armitage’s duet partner, correct?”

“Yeah, I am.”

Sighing, she asked,“Could you do me a favor and follow him?Make sure he doesn’t leave?”

“Sure.Oh, and Ms. Phasma… I’m sorry about Poe.What he said was horrible, and totally uncalled for.”

The platinum blonde smirked.“It’s okay, Miss Tico, I’ve been called much, much worse.Can’t let a little insult get to you, right?”

Rose laughed, “Yeah, that’s right.I’m going to look for him now, Ms. Phasma.”

“Call me Gwen, we female musicians need to stick together,” she grinned.

“Call me Rose, then,” she replied.

After a strong handshake and a smile, Rose went off in search of her duet partner.

Her search backstage proved fruitless, and she was about to give up when she heard piano music coming from one of the practice rooms.

Stealthily, she walked down the corridor, and paused just before the half-open door of their assigned room.Hux’s hair was falling into his face, the cuffs of his dark blue shirt carelessly pushed back instead of meticulously folded, as he played snippets of piano pieces, his aggravation and anger seeming to build, with every fragment of music he played.

In a flurry of emotion, he pounded out several discordant chords before burying his head in his hands.“No, no, no,” he muttered.“I can’t.”

He took several deep breaths which seemed to calm him, and then, he whispered, “Alright.Just this once.Just this once.”

He placed his fingers on the keys, and played the sweetly touching melody of Liszt’s “Liebestraum no. 3”.It was the most beautiful version of the piece Rose had ever heard, and she tried to recall if she had ever heard anyone play it remotely similar to the way she was hearing it now, but every performance she had ever heard fell short of this.Clearly, he knew the piece and could play it masterfully.So why on earth is one of the most famous piano pieces not in any of his performances or recordings?

All too soon, the piece came to an end, and unable to restrain herself, she clapped, startling him.Turning, an angry look on his face, “Gwen, can I — Miss Tico,” he cut himself off.His expression eased into neutral and he continued, “I apologize for my tone.I thought you were Phasma.”

“She sent me.Told me to make sure you didn’t leave.”

He huffed a short laugh, raising a sardonic eyebrow.“She knows me too well.”

Rose slowly moved further into the room.“That was beautiful.The “Liebestraum”.”

Several expressions flitted over his face before it settled into a cautious one.“I try not to play it.”

“Why?You play it so well, it was beautiful.”It did not escape her notice that this was the longest conversation the two of them had had without sniping at each other. 

“I do not want to talk about this right now, Miss Tico.” 

Not wanting to get into an argument, she dropped the matter.Continuing, she said, “Poe was a jerk.”

His mouth twisted into a bitter line.“That is quite an understatement.He should carefully choose the words he uses.One never knows how some words may affect someone else.”

Rose tilted her head, not quite understanding what he was talking about.

A strange look came over him before he seemed to steel himself.In a surprising gesture, he slid to the other end of the long piano bench, hesitantly patting the vacant side.“Please.”

Rose sat down, a faint smile gracing her face.

“I do not know what it is about you, Miss Tico, that makes me want to open up to you.The word “bastard” is a vile word and I detest being called a bastard, because, Miss Tico, I am an illegitimate child.”

Rose gasped.“Is that why —“

“Why I punched that conductor?Yes, and it is downright abhorrent and repugnant behavior when men talk harshly to women, which is why I foolishly intervened in that altercation.My father, Brendol Hux, is a British defense contractor, and owner of Hux Industries. He is a harsh, unkind man.My mother, Deonagh Weldon, was an Irish kitchen maid in my father’s household.When I was born, I received my mother’s surname, but my father’s wife couldn’t bear him any children, so my father took me from my mother, and changed my last name to his.He wanted me to study business, but my piano teacher convinced me to follow my heart and pursue music, and when I did, my father disowned me.Using the little savings I had, I ran away to New York, and auditioned for Juilliard. 

“Oh, Armitage,” she murmured.

He ducked his head, more copper strands falling into his eyes, then looked up at her, an earnest look in his clear, pale green eyes.“Miss Tico, I must apologize to you, for being a miserable arse, and you don’t deserve to be afflicted with me.You are easily one of the most talented musicians I have had the pleasure of working with, and I realize that we started off on the wrong foot.With your consent, I would like, very much, to start over.”

Rose smiled widely.“Apology accepted.Let’s start over.”

He looked surprised, as if he expected her to reject his sincere offer.“Thank you.Very well then.I’m Armitage… Weldon, pleased to meet you,” he said, in a strong, but kind tone, extending his hand.

Smiling, she shook his hand, “Rose Tico.Equally pleased to meet you.”

Just then, Phasma’s booming voice echoed through Mothma Hall, “Alright, everyone, time!!Let’s do this!!”

“That’s us,” Rose whispered.

“Yes, it is.Shall we?”

Once more on stage, Phasma addressed the orchestra, “Okay.Let’s start this again.Hopefully, since Mr. Dameron and I have agreed on a tempo, this one won’t fall apart.

“Attention everyone!”Poe shouted, before cueing the orchestra.This time, rehearsal ran much smoother, on an even tempo and without drama.

Cautiously, Poe approached Armitage, who had a neutral expression on his face.With an apologetic look on his face, Poe extended a hand.Both men gravely shook hands, and Poe walked off the stage, coming up beside Phasma, the two of them in deep discussion. 

Curious, Rose came up to Armitage.“Hey.”

He raised an eyebrow, a smirk curling his lips.“Hello.”

“What did Poe say to you?”

“Why do you want to know, Miss Tico?”

“Because I’m curious, okay?”

“He apologized, rather sincerely, and I accepted.”

“Well, he’s a good guy, who sometimes happens to say the wrong things.”

Taking charge, Rey, who was First Violin for “Swan Lake”, gathered the Artists in Residence for a rehearsal. 

“Now, let’s just get right to it, shall we?”Rey smiled at the group, her eyes lingering on Ben.

The practice was in disarray, because instead of paying attention to his sheet music, and on what he was supposed to play, Ben’s eyes were on the First Violinist.Having to disguise her amusement and laughter over the situation, Rose feigned repeated coughing fits.Armitage was torn between concern for Rose and irritation at Ben who kept setting them back because he couldn’t play a single line without mistake.After an eternity, Ben got his act together, and the quartet managed a decent run through.

“I’m sure with practice, we’ll be able to pull it off splendidly.Ben, you seemed to be having a bit of trouble.Would you like to get together tomorrow to run through the score after your practice with Rose?”Rey asked.

Ben’s expression was unpaintable.“Um,” he stammered, “yeah, yeah — I — I’d like that.”

“Good.I’ll meet you here after my practice with Hux tomorrow.”

“Good.”The poor man looked frozen stiff.

The practice ended with Rey and Ben locked in animated conversation.Rose looked at her phone.It was a little after 8:00, she was starving, and couldn’t wait to have dinner at her favorite Vietnamese place, a short walk from Windu Center.

Placing her instrument in its case, Rose noticed a shadow beside her while she was crouched on the floor.Looking up, she saw Armitage awkwardly hovering next to her.

“I will see you the day after tomorrow, then, Miss Tico,” he said.

“Yeah.”Then, a thought struck her. 

“Um, wait,” she blurted as he began to walk away.Stopping mid-stride, he turned, an indecipherable look on his face.“Um, have you eaten yet?Imeanwouldyouliketohavedinnerwithme?” She babbled, her words running into each other.

“Would I like to have dinner with you?”He measuredly repeated.

“Yeah, you know, in the name of starting over, right?We could get to know each other better.”

He stared at her for the longest time, not saying a word, prompting Rose to begin, “Well, never —“

He cut her off, “I would be honored, Miss Tico.”

“It’s okay if — wait, what?”

“I would be honored to have dinner with you, Miss Tico,” he said, smiling.“Do you have a place in mind, or —“

“I do, it’s just down the road from the Center.”

“Lead the way then, Miss Tico.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Agitato is a musical expression mark which tells the performer to play agitatedly.
> 
> As a little bit of trivia, I took Armitage’s birth surname from Domhnall’s mother’s maiden name. ;)
> 
> And for anyone who wants to listen, here is the link to the fic’s [Spotify playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1emzq7L1pGxsCRg0no1hKV?si=CSP316a7Qg-OQydghaFkYw), which has all the pieces I mention in this fic!
> 
> Come scream with me on [tumblr](https://oh-great-authoress.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> Please Read & Review!


	3. Poco Più Mosso

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose and Armitage have dinner, and talk about themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Majorly edited 1/9/21, please re-read from the start if you’ve already begun reading this!
> 
> Thank you to all of you who commented, left kudos, and bookmarked!
> 
> I appreciate all your support!

Rose turned to say goodbye to Ben and Rey, but the two were nowhere to be seen.

“They departed a short time ago, deep in conversation, I’m afraid they forgot about our existence.”

“Yeah.I figured.”

“They like each other, don’t they?He’s been insufferably happy lately, ever since he met Miss Palpatine.They’ve been casting furtive glances at each other.”

“Yeah, I think so.You should have seen them when they rehearsed their solos,” Rose laughed.

Armitage tsked, then said, “I’m happy for him.He’s… not had much luck in terms of romance.”

“Really?”

“I’ve known him since Juilliard.Believe me.”

Rose led him down the streets to the hole in the wall that was Best Pho Viet 1.He hesitated slightly, but to his credit, he confidently entered the small restaurant.

They picked a table in the corner, as a waiter quickly approached with two thick menus.

Rose absently flipped through the menu, already knowing what she wanted.Armitage, on the other hand, looked absolutely overwhelmed.Rose sympathized, “You okay?”

“Yes, quite, I just…”

“You don’t know what to get, do you?”

“No.To be completely honest, I’ve never had Vietnamese food.”

Rose’s jaw dropped.“Seriously?”

He said nothing, but the nervous bob of his Adam’s apple gave him away. 

“Okay, we’re going to fix that right now.Give me that menu.”Rose flipped to the pho page.“I’m going to order for you.”

“Um —“

She looked up from the menu, impulsively putting her hand on his, and asked, “Do you trust me?”

He looked at her hand resting on his, opened his mouth repeatedly to speak, but his voice failed him, until Rose was just about to withdraw her hand, when looking right at her, he managed to say, “Entirely.”

Rose smiled, exhaling in relief.“Okay then,” she breathed.

Raising her hand to signal that they were ready to order, she said, “Okay,” and spoke in Vietnamese, so Armitage wouldn’t know what she was ordering.“I’ll have the pho deluxe, he’ll have the P4, and we’ll have two orders of spring rolls, and some hot tea, thanks.”

“May I ask what it is I will be eating?”

“You don’t want it to be a surprise?”

“Not particularly.”

“It’s nothing ‘weird’ or ‘gross’.You’ll be having Vietnamese Food 101.”

“That’s all you’ll tell me?”

“Yep.”

They were silent for a while before Armitage broke the silence.“So.Rose Tico.Who are you?”

“I thought you knew me,” she smirked, remembering their first conversation.

He sighed, similarly recalling the very same moment Rose had.“That was an ill-advised thing for me to have said to you.But I’ve told you about myself, now it’s your turn.”

Rose laughed. “Touché.Okay, I’m Vietnamese-American.My parents were young and married when they came here after the Vietnam War — determined to rebuild their lives.My dad, Hue, through hard work and determination, graduated from university with a degree in engineering, was hired by Boeing, and eventually became Chief Engineer for many of their projects.My mom, Thanya, stayed home to raise me and my older sister, Paige.She was and still is an avid gardener, planting vegetables and flowers in our garden, there are more flowers in her garden than there used to be when Paige and I were kids.”

“Do you visit them?”

“As soon as my schedule permits, I visit them in Washington.”

“How’s your sister?”

Immediately noticing the doleful look on Rose’s face, Armitage began, “I’m sorry, that’s obviously a sore subject, I —“

“No, it’s just hard, but —“

“You don’t have to tell me.”

“I want to,” she surprised herself with her reply.“Paige was… special.She was bright, effervescent, outgoing, and she had many friends.Once, she told me, ‘There are no strangers, Rosie, only people you have yet to befriend.’.Everyone was surprised when she decided to enlist in the Air Force, to become a fighter pilot.She was deployed to Afghanistan, where she provided air support to ground troops.On one of the missions, while she was covering a unit pinned down by insurgents, she was shot down by an RPG, and died instantly.Her remains were recovered, and buried with full military honors at Arlington and she was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart.”

Just then, their food arrived, two large, steaming bowls of delicious pho, and two plates of luscious spring rolls.

“Told you I wouldn’t order anything weird,” she grinned.“Armitage, this is pho.Pho, this is Armitage.”

He laughed at her humor, and she eagerly watched as he picked up the spoon and dipped it into the clear broth.A pleased look came over his face.“That’s delicious!”

As they dug in, Rose asked, “I’ve shared my story, now it’s your turn.What made you want to play the piano?”

“Music was a required subject at Arkanis School for Boys, and it was a means of escape from my horrible classmates, and my father.It helped me forget my troubles and gave me a separate peace.What about you, how did you come to play the cello?”

Rose grinned, “My parents have really eclectic taste in music, so I grew up listening to different kinds of music.One day, my parents put on a recording of Yo-Yo Ma’s Bach Cello Suites.After hearing the first Prelude, I was determined to learn how to play that instrument.One cello lesson led to another, and then more, and from there, the rest is history.”

“I’m glad, that they decided to put on that record, otherwise, classical music would be missing a very talented musician, Miss Tico.”

“Call me Rose, no more of this ‘Miss Tico’ formality.”

He blinked, surprised.“If that is what you’d like.”

“Yes, I would like that,” she replied, a determined set to her jaw.

“Alright… Rose.”

The sound of her name on his lips sent a little tingle down her spine.Tilting her head, she said, “That’s better,” another bright smile on her lips.

The spring rolls were another hit with Armitage.He insisted on paying for the dinner, and she obliged him, finding his gesture quite gallant.

As they approached the main road, they decided to share a ride.He hailed a cab, Rose insisting on paying her fare home.The entire ride was spent with her rather close to Armitage, as her cello took up much of the space beside her. 

Rose idly scrolled through her phone to distract her attention from the man next to her, whom she had begun to see in an entirely different light.Instead of feeling infuriated by him, he now fascinated her, which she found mildly bewildering.

Arriving at her apartment building, Rose hauled her cello out of the cab, and was about to pick it back up, when Armitage gently took it by the handle, walking beside Rose to the glass door of her building.Cracking the door open, she turned to look at him.

He carefully handed her the centuries-old instrument, an air of discomfiture about him.“Thank you very much for the delicious dinner, Rose, and for telling me more about yourself tonight.”

Rose laughed, “You paid for dinner, so why thank me?”

“Because you led me to discover and experience something quite unfamiliar but altogether delightful.”

“Thank you for your company and for sharing your story with me.”

“Normally, it pains me to talk with anyone about certain circumstances in my life.But you’ve released me from that burden and made me feel at ease talking about my past.”

That statement from this reserved man struck a chord in her heart.

“I’m glad,” she smiled.

“This evening has been,” pausing, he gazed at her and continued, “ _is_ lovely.Thank you, Rose.I hope you have a good night.”

“I wish you the same,” she replied.

He nodded before turning and bounding down the steps to the waiting cab.Rose watched him open the door, before turning and heading into the foyer of her building.Curiously, she turned around, and to her surprise, he was looking out the window of the cab, back up to her, as it began to drive away.

She beamed and waved at him.

His responding bright, wide smile was the last thing she thought of before she fell asleep that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry the chapter’s a little short, but I promise the next one is longer!
> 
> Poco Più Mosso is a musical expression mark which tells the performer to play with a little more motion.
> 
> And for anyone who wants to listen, here is the link to the fic’s [Spotify playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1emzq7L1pGxsCRg0no1hKV?si=JbfMhok3R2W2QfY5HZgSCg), which has all the pieces I mention in this fic!
> 
> Come scream with me on [tumblr](https://oh-great-authoress.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> Please Read & Review!


	4. Poco Più Animato

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The evening of the orchestral rehearsal from Armitage’s point of view, and the friendship between Rose and Armitage grows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Majorly edited 1/9/21, please re-read from the start if you’ve already begun reading this!
> 
> Thank you to all of you who commented, left kudos, and bookmarked!
> 
> I appreciate all your support!

Armitage trekked up the stairs leading to the central balcony of the Windu Center, the final strains of Ben’s “Meditation” audible in the stairwell. He made a mental note to commend Ben on his phrasing, his friend’s playing certainly increasingly inspired these days. Armitage knew he had a certain female violinist to credit for that. It pulled a wicked smirk to his lips as he crept to a seat in the balcony’s front row. Rey’s subsequent “Zigeunerweisen” was very well played, he noted, her fiery elegance a beautiful counterpoint for Ben’s style of playing.

Next was Rose. Unconsciously, he leaned forward in his seat, despite it being unnecessary — the acoustics in Mothma Hall were perfect, you could hear a pin drop on the stage from anywhere in the hall. His eyes latched onto her figure as she confidently walked onstage. She had an uncommon grace about her. To his surprise, she unexpectedly captivated him, and she hadn’t even played a note yet. He couldn’t figure out why she took up so much room in his mind, an inexplicable desire to please her in the way he played their duet the driving force behind his hours-long practice the night before. She set the bow to her instrument’s strings, and immediately, drove the air from his lungs — the sheer passion with which she played Saint-Saens’ melody was beautifully heartbreaking and healing at the same time. It felt humbling to hear her play. She had a command over her playing that had him on the edge of his seat, the supreme pleasure of seeing art being created before his very eyes and ears entrancing him.

Just then, during an orchestral interlude, he could swear that she was looking right at him. It made a part of him uncomfortable, but he found that he couldn’t bring himself to look away, and so, he continued to keep his gaze on her all the way to the end of her performance. She raised her head from the fingerboard, to the applause of Rey and Ben, and this time, it was impossible that she was looking anywhere else but at him. Almost mindlessly, he stood from his seat, and inclined his head to her — it felt like all he could do, his mind still coming back to him after hearing that masterpiece which was regretfully played to a near-empty hall.

Eventually, he made his way to the stage to rehearse “Hoedown”, and from the moment Gwen cut Dameron off, he knew what was coming; he had seen expressions like that in conductors whom he had worked with. The conductor’s rant towards Gwen was harsh and uncalled for, and unbidden, he found himself in the midst of the altercation. He kept his calm until Dameron uttered the one word Armitage would never tolerate.

He surprised himself in that he managed to deck the heavier built man — he was lanky and not one to engage in fisticuffs, but he was seeing red, and would gladly have gotten into a fight with Dameron if not for Gwen’s piercing voice breaking them up.

Following her advice, he stormed off to his and Rose’s practice room, doing the only thing that he knew would calm him. He ran through his repertoire, playing snippets of various pieces, but the maelstrom in his spirit refused to dissipate, in fact, he only seemed to grow more and more infuriated as he continued. In his fury, he pounded his hands on the keys, then buried his head in his hands. At this point, he knew there would be only one thing that would calm him. But did he have the strength to do it?

“No, no, no, I can’t,” Armitage muttered to himself. He took several breaths, trying to calm himself. He could not continue like this — it would be best if he just left, he’d bear Gwen reading him the riot act the next rehearsal. But if he left, the next opportunity he’d have to make amends to Rose would be the day after tomorrow, and strangely, the thought of leaving their relationship in the state it was for two more days rankled, and the thought of Rose looking at him with that look of hers for a day longer than necessary steeled him. “Alright,” he whispered. “Just this once. Just this once.“

He put his fingers on the keys, and the melody of Liszt’s “Liebestraum no. 3” filled the room. Even as he played, the meager memories he had of his mother came to him, beautifully sharp. By the end, his spirit was calm and placid, when he heard applause come from the door he had left ajar.

Thinking it was Gwen come to fetch him, he turned, angrily snapping out, “Gwen, can I — Miss Tico,” he swiftly cut himself off, quickly easing his expression into neutral and continued, “I apologize for my tone. I thought you were Phasma.”

He internally cringed — so much for trying to make amends to her. Congratulations, Armitage, he snarked to himself. Fortunately, she didn’t hold his startled outburst against him, instead complimenting his “Liebestraum”. Waving aside her compliment, he viciously changed the subject, not wanting to discuss all that particular piece meant to him. Soon, after a moment of indecision, he plucked up what courage he had, and invited her to sit beside him on the piano bench. Before he knew it, he was telling her more about himself than he had to another person in a while.

He didn’t know how he expected her to react to his life’s story — there had been many and varied reactions to his story over the years, to those few who heard it. Rose’s was by far the… best one. There was no pity in her eyes, only the kindness of an open heart affected by his tale as if it had happened to her.

The next thing he knew, they were onstage again, running through the Copland for the last time that day. As he was arranging his portfolio, pulling out the sheet music for “Swan Lake”, a shadow darkened the floor before him. He looked up to see a sheepish looking Poe Dameron.

“What is it you want, Mr. Dameron,” Armitage snapped.

“I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier. It was uncalled for, and I sincerely apologize,” he said, appearing quite contrite.

Armitage sighed. “Apology accepted, Mr. Dameron. Just try to have more care what you say to people, what you call them. Some things might be truer than you think,” he cautioned.

Poe frowned for a second, but then, his eyes widened as he realized the implication behind Armitage’s words. “I’m really sorry, man,” he said.

“Again, apology accepted. I… also apologize for having struck you,” Armitage replied.

“No harm done — well — ” he smirked, chuckling, then continued, “at any rate, apology accepted. I kinda deserved it anyway. You have a pretty good right hook, I got to admit. You got me good.” Here, the conductor stuck out a conciliatory hand, which Armitage gravely shook. With a nod, Poe walked off, coming up beside Gwen.

And that wasn’t his only surprise that night. As Armitage stepped into his apartment, he began to recall the events of the day. He had been hoping for a fresh start, a new beginning with her, but had not expected to have such an incredible night in Rose’s company. He had not opened up to anyone before as he had to her. She listened to him without judgement, but with compassion, kindness, and understanding. Her spontaneity and openness were infectious. With her, he felt free and whole again, more alive than he has ever been. Lying on his bed, he stared up at the ceiling, recalling the warmth of her touch on the back of his hand and the calluses on her fingertips. To him, she was simply too marvelous and too wonderful for words.

He drifted off to sleep, looking forward to the next day, her parting smile etched into his thoughts.

* * *

The next rehearsal with Armitage was vastly different from previous rehearsals. As she entered the practice room, she saw him smiling warmly at her from the piano, a dramatic transformation from his customary aloofness.

“Good afternoon, Rose.”

Pleasantly surprised, she replied, “Good afternoon to you. How are you?”

“Very well, thank you, and you?”

“Great,” she laughed, unable to help herself.

“What’s funny?” He frowned.

“I’m not used to you being so bright and cheery.”

“Ah.” He sighed self-deprecatingly.

Their relationship now being remarkably improved, they practiced well together.

Rose was munching on a protein bar during a short break, when she pitched, “Your top three pianists. Go.”

Caught off guard, he stammered briefly before answering, “Daniel Barenboim, Vladimir Ashkenazy, and Leonard Bernstein. Why?”

“This is a question that sometimes friends who may or may not be musicians ask each other, Armitage,” she gently said.

“Ah. Your top three cellists, then.”

“Easy. Yo-Yo Ma, Jaqueline du Pré, and Mstislav Rostropovich.”

“That’s a good list.” He was quiet and pensive for a while before he continued, “Are we… friends, Rose?”

“Aren’t we?”

“Yes?”

Finishing the last bite of her bar, she firmly said, “Yep.”

Rose and Armitage found themselves trading phone numbers after that rehearsal, engaging in longer and more frequent conversations with each other, and sharing videos of performances on YouTube. He always promptly gave his opinion on whatever she sent, and often accompanied his replies with pictures of his cat, Millicent.

When Rose first saw the picture of the cute ginger tabby, she immediately FaceTimed him.

“You have a cat?”

“Yes,” he said, turning the phone to show the small animal beside him on his couch.

“She’s so cute,” Rose gushed, which made the feline turn her head, and send a demure “Mrow,” to the camera.

“Yes, Millie, we know, you’re adorable,” he said to the cat. Turning the camera back to himself, he continued, “Don’t inflate her head, she’s already incredibly spoiled, but that’s my fault.”

“I should have known you were a cat person.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Let’s see — aloof, standoffish, introverted and independent. On your own, you can be sarcastic and exasperating, but… you’re also kind, generous, sensitive, and understanding.”

He blinked, taken aback. “People don’t say those last four things about me.”

“They’re all true though. You’re a good person.”

He chuckled lightly, deeply touched by her words. “Thank you. That truly means a lot to me coming from you.”

“You’re welcome. Now, what did you think about Kissin’s performance of “The Lark”?”

The following week there were rehearsals with the orchestra and the quartet. Armitage sat in the third row from the stage when Rose played her solo, and this allowed her to see his admiring smile and hear his applause, sending a little shiver of joy through her.

Predictably, Phasma and Poe argued over another aspect of “Hoe Down”, but this time, Armitage let Phasma duke it out with Poe.

When the practice ended, the four Artists in Residence sauntered out to find one of Chandrila’s rare, torrential downpours. The rain was falling in glistening sheets, blurring the metallic vista before the Windu Center, the setting sun painting the skies and the surrounding buildings fiery orange and red.

“Darn it!” Rose shouted, cursing herself for not checking the weather.

To her shock, Armitage said, “This isn’t bad.”

Aghast, Rose turned to him, “How can you say that?”

He laughed, “This is nothing. I’ve seen worse at boarding school. At Arkanis, sometimes it’d rain for days, and much heavier than this.”

“I won’t be able to get home until this passes,” she moaned, cradling her head in her hands.

Pulling off his wool coat, he put it over her head, and his.

“What are you doing?” She exclaimed.

“Come on, this is waterproof, if we keep this over our heads we’ll make it to the curb.”

She was tired, and the thought of waiting for the storm to pass was unappealing.

“Okay,” she conceded, making sure her cello was firmly set on her back.

The two of them ran down the steps, laughing, through the rain, their footsteps a melodic staccato against the marble steps. Fleetly, Armitage put Rose into the first cab that came by.

“Thank you,” she said, struck by the genuine warmth and sincerity in his concern for her.

Adjusting the coat over his head, he replied, “Anytime,” an intense, but gentle look on his face.

He beamed at her before he shut the door, the cab driving off in the rain.

That night, she was relaxing on her couch with a cup of chamomile tea, when her phone rang. Rose picked it up to see it was Armitage FaceTiming.

“Hi, what’s up?”

“I just wanted to see if you got home safe,” he said, something shy in his tone.

“I did,” she laughed, shrugging. “Were you waiting long in the rain?”

“I managed to get a cab not long after you left.”

“Thank you for sacrificing your coat,” she smiled.

“It’ll be fine, it’s drying in my bathroom. Is that coffee or tea in that mug I see?”

“It’s chamomile tea, coffee is the last thing I need. …”

They talked for over three hours, lost in conversation, their fatigue forgotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poco più animato is a musical expression term which means growing animated little by little.
> 
> For those of you who want to listen to the music mentioned in this fic, here’s the [Spotify playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1emzq7L1pGxsCRg0no1hKV?si=JbfMhok3R2W2QfY5HZgSCg)!
> 
> Come scream with me on [Tumblr](https://oh-great-authoress.tumblr.com/)!  
> Please read & review!


	5. Attacca Subito

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An accident on the steps of the Windu Center give both Rose and Armitage food for thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Majorly edited 1/9/21, please re-read from the start if you’ve already begun reading this!
> 
> Thank you to all of you who commented, left kudos, and bookmarked!
> 
> I appreciate all your support!

Several days later, Rose arrived at the Windu Center slightly earlier than usual, due to some sorcery at work in Chandrila’s traffic pattern, finding herself leisurely walking up the steps instead of running, as she would ordinarily do, enjoying the brisk air as it blew through the city, parting the clouds high above.As she looked to her left, she saw Armitage starting up the stairs too, the rushing wind blowing his coat behind him and ruffling his hair.

“Armitage!”She shouted, hoping the gust would help to carry her voice.

She inhaled a little more sharply than she had a second ago, when he adjusted his course on the steps to come up beside her.

“Good afternoon, Rose,” he greeted cordially, with a small smile.

“Good afternoon to you, too,” she replied, cursing the slightly breathless tone in her voice.

“Did you rest well?”He asked, a genuinely inquisitive look on his face.

“Great, yeah, how about you?”Her voice was a little steadier now, thankfully, but she dropped her gaze, at the pretense of watching her steps, not trusting her voice to go off the rails again if she kept looking at him.

“I did, thank you.”

Something in his voice, drat it all, made her look up at him, and she saw… was that an admiring glint in his eye?

It was here that Rose miscalculated the height and length of the next step, her foot slipping.It all felt like slow motion.She only had time to register the thought, “Holy karking kriff,” before gravity began to take over.She braced herself, trying to turn her body so she wouldn’t fall right onto the cello case, and prepared to fall face first onto the stone steps, praying she wouldn’t snap her neck.

But none of that happened.She didn’t snap her neck, and she certainly didn’t fall face first.When none of that happened, Rose opened her tightly shut eyes and looked up into the very same eyes that had distracted her to begin with.He had caught her with an arm around her waist, the other at the back of her neck, his tall form bent over hers.

Rose gasped, her heart pounding like the cannons in Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture”, taking in everything, from the position they were in, to the feeling of his hands supporting her, the look in his irritatingly beautiful eyes, his paradoxically sharp yet delicate features, the way his burnished copper hair fell into his face, the scent of his cologne, and the sensation of his wool coat underneath her fingers, beneath which she could feel the strength of his arms as they held her weight.

_Kriff_.

“Rose!”His voice broke through her thoughts, his tone indicating that this was not the first time he had called her name.

“Yeah?”She squeaked, frustrated, but unable to do anything about the exact octave in which her voice came out.

“Yeah, yeah, thanks for… catching me.”

“I — anytime,” he breathed.

Belatedly, she realized that she was still holding tightly to him, prompting her to pull back, which also made him draw back, Rose hating herself for wishing his arms were still around her.

His voice again broke through her thoughts, and she looked up to see him gesture to the Windu Center.“Shall we?”

Rose could only nod, beginning to walk towards the hall again, her gaze this time determinedly focused on the remainder of the steps and then the walkway beaneath her feet.They came to the door, and before she could reach for it, he had grasped the handle, pulling it open. 

She hung back, waiting for him to enter first, but he only said chivalrously, “After you,” again making her stupid heart beat a little faster.

They moved through the wide atrium into the corridor leading to Mothma Hall, but this whole thing was beginning to overwhelm Rose, so she blurted, “Why don’t you go ahead, I’m just gonna use the restroom.”

He nodded, “I’ll see you after practice, then, Rose.”

“Um-hmm.”

She waited until he had turned the corner to the Hall’s entrance, then she practically ran to the bathroom.She locked herself in one of the stalls, leaning against the wood door, taking a deep breath, willing her heart to stop pounding.No dice.Her heart kept on stubbornly going.

After what seemed like an eternity, she managed to get control of herself, and strode to Mothma Hall, for her rehearsal with Ben, her traitorous mind replaying that moment on the steps on repeat.

* * *

Armitage woke up to the chiming sound of his alarm. For most, this would not be an unusual circumstance, but to him, who woke at the drop of a pin, and typically hours before his 8:00 AM alarm, this was a refreshing change. After shutting the alarm off, he blinked, clearing the sleep from his eyes. Rising and completing his morning routine, he made himself a serviceable breakfast, remembering enough from his mother how not to ruin eggs.

He was standing in front of his dining room window, looking out at the skyline of bustling downtown Chandrila while he sipped his coffee, instead of mainlining it just to stay awake, taking in the way the glass windows of the surrounding structures cast iridescent, ephemeral glows everywhere, supplementing the sunlight filtering through his windows, blanketing everything with pure light. 

Exactly like Rose, come to think of it.She was pure sunshine, light and happiness incarnate. She had infiltrated his thoughts unlike anyone else.He just couldn’t get her out of his head — but instead of infuriating him, the constant thoughts of Rose only brought him joy, a joy more potent, heady and pure than any he had ever felt.While he was by no means an old man, Rose made him feel as if he were a decade younger, reviving his weary and cynical spirit.Pulling on his coat and gloves, he even found himself humming old songs he had heard as a child.

Striding out of his building, he found that everything around him felt new, novel, and interesting, even things that regularly got on his nerves — the hustle of the city, the honking horns of the cabs and cars on the streets, the food cart vendors shouting down the sidewalk — everything had a glow, a shine that he just couldn’t put his finger on.A part of him wanted to be irritated with the rose-colored film that seemed to have draped itself onto every aspect of his senses, but he was too happy to care.

He practically skipped up the steps of the Windu Center, indulging in the feeling of the wind against his face, a childish part of him glorying in the way it billowed his coat behind his slender frame, when he heard the music of Rose’s voice sing his name across the grand steps.He had always hated his name.It was… too French, maybe a little bit pretentious, but from Rose’s lips it was the most amazing thing he had ever heard.The way she said it, like it was a fine wine on her tongue, sent a shiver through him.

He turned to face her, and his breath caught.Time seemed frozen, and his heart stuttered in his chest.There she stood, several steps above him, beautiful and shining, her wind-blown beauty outshining even the sun in the sky.He changed course on the steps to draw near to her, her very presence both lighthouse and safe harbor.He had never before experienced the feeling of safety that he felt around Rose.It was quite unexpected, and very much welcome.

They were conversing, Armitage knowing he wasn’t able to help the admiring look in his eyes, when Rose tripped on the marble steps.He instinctively lurched forward, catching her in his arms. 

It was, in retrospect, perhaps not a good idea to do that.The woman he was holding, who was clutching him as if her life depended on it (and in a way, it did) already did odd things to his heart — figuratively and literally — and holding her, in this position, which bore a remarkable similarity to the romance novels he would see Maratelle reading, was not very conducive to the calmness of his heart.

But he found that, despite the pounding of his heart and the rushing of his blood in his ears, he wouldn’t mind staying like that for a while.Maybe eternity. 

Despite that, however, he shook himself from his introspection, and soon, they continued onto the hall and their respective practices, but if he was completely candid, his mind and heart was still out there, on those steps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Attacca subito is a musical expression mark which means to attack (the note) suddenly. 
> 
> For those of you who want to listen to the music mentioned in this fic, here’s the [Spotify playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1emzq7L1pGxsCRg0no1hKV?si=JbfMhok3R2W2QfY5HZgSCg)!
> 
> Come scream with me on [Tumblr](https://oh-great-authoress.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> Please read & review!


	6. Con Affetto

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An anniversary hits Rose hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Majorly edited 1/9/21, please re-read from the start if you’ve already begun reading this!
> 
> Thank you to all of you who commented, left kudos, and bookmarked!
> 
> I appreciate all your support!

The next day, Rose woke to her bedside phone dock proudly displaying the time and day.With a sigh, she sat up, looking at the picture on her nightstand, that of herself, her mom, dad, and Paige, just before she was deployed to Afghanistan.Today was her sister’s death anniversary.She was exhausted — Rose’s insomnia, usually under control, roared with a vengeance, allowing her only two or three hours of sleep. 

As she dragged herself out of bed, she called her parents and talked with them before heading to rehearsal with Armitage. 

Instead of her usual bright “Good afternoon,” she greeted him with a muttered, “Hey,” in a tone which did not escape him.

He cautiously said, “Hello.”

Not long into the practice, her performance deteriorated and she began playing poorly.She could see his worried glances, but she kept going until her finger slipped on a sustained note.She stopped, taking a deep breath, Armitage’s concerned, “Rose?” in the background of her mind.

She blinked back tears of frustration and sadness, saying, “Yeah?”

“Are you alright, Rose?”

“I’m fine.”

He raised an unbelieving eyebrow at her, but she continued, “Really, I’m fine.Just… frustrated.”

He still looked like he didn’t really believe her, but he said, “Well, that’s understandable, we’ve been practicing this piece for several weeks now, we were bound to hit a wall sometime.This practice is over.We can make up the time next rehearsal.Here’s what we’ll do.Today… I want you to show me all your favorite places in this city, the places that make you feel happy.”

“What?”

“Let’s go sightseeing, Rose,” he said, a lighthearted gleam in his eyes.

She laughed, touched by what he was willing to do for her.“Okay.”

She showed him around Chandrila, taking him through Little Asia, showing him all her favorite stores, both of them snacking all the way.Then, the sun having long since set, she led him to Gerrera Park, home to Chandrila’s best dogs.Red hots in hand, she showed him all the little spots that she loved in the park — the miniature falls, the reflecting pool, the duck pond, to the many beautiful fountains. 

They made their way to her favorite bench in the park, which afforded a spectacular view of her favorite fountain, elegantly sculpted flowers sending streams of water into the air.It was the happiest she had ever been on her sister’s death anniversary.They were just watching the water soar in the air, when her voice broke the languid silence.

“It’s my sister’s death anniversary today,” she said, her tone even.

He blinked, then turned to her, saying, “Why didn’t you cancel our rehearsal today?”

“We had to practice — ”

“That doesn’t matter,” he adamantly said, shifting closer to her, closing the polite distance between them.

In a quiet voice, she continued, “I wanted to keep my routine going, because I didn’t want to be alone today.”

He sighed, and the next thing she knew, he was holding her hand tightly.

“I understand,” he said, his expression telling her he really did.

“Thank you.” 

He nodded, an introspective look on his face as he turned back to the fountain, taking the warmth of his hand with him, leaving her feeling somewhat bereft.

There was a pleasant silence for a while, and then Armitage said, “At the risk of sounding impertinent, I was just wondering… why do you often touch your chest?”

She looked at him, a teasing smile on her face.“You been looking at my chest much?”

He turned red, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly as he searched for an acceptable answer.“No, I — I just always see your hand move to your chest, I — ”

Rose put her hand on his, stopping him.“It’s okay, I was just teasing you.I know I always do that.”She pulled out the two medallions she always wore around her neck.“These medallions were given to me and Paige when we were young.They are some of the only things my parents were able to take with them from Vietnam.”She traced the familiar gold pendants.“These are made to look like the leaves of a fruit native to my family’s province, a snowgrape.And when you put them together,” she put the edges against each other, “they make a complete circle.I wear them both as a way to keep my sister with me, especially when I’m onstage.I know it sounds odd, but — ”

“No, it’s not odd at all,” he interrupted her, “it’s very beautiful.I wish I had something like that from my mother.”

Rose didn’t know what possessed her, but she said in a quiet voice, “Your mother’s no longer alive, is she?”

A muscle ticked in his jaw, and for a second, she was worried she had ruined the whole day, but he replied, “No, she’s not.Cancer claimed her life when I was in my second year at Juilliard.She died alone in Ireland.”He took a deep breath, then continued, “It killed me, and for the first time in years, I… cried when I heard the news.”

She turned to him.“I’m so sorry, that’s heartbreaking.”

He inclined his head to face her, a sad smile on his lips.“It was a long time ago.Today’s about you, not me.”

“Who says it can’t be about both of us?“

He chuckled, “It’s my intention to cheer you up — instead you’re comforting me.You really are something else, Rose.”

She couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’m serious.”Looking intently at her, he continued, “You… are unlike anyone I’ve ever met or known.”

“In a bad way?”She asked, curious.

“No, not at all.In the best way possible.”

“Thanks.And… thanks for today.This is the happiest I’ve ever been on this day.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied, earnestly. 

They turned back to the fountain, and after a couple of minutes, he shifted even closer to her on the bench.She looked at him, but saw how he was pointedly staring at the fountain, and she realized what he was saying with that gesture.He wanted to support her without insinuating that she was weak, giving her the choice.So she lay her head on his shoulder, allowing herself to lean on someone else for once, literally and figuratively.Rose felt him stiffen for a second, before he relaxed and shifted his hand beneath hers, to lace their fingers together.

Smiling at him, she turned once more to the fountain. 

Much later, they decided to walk to her apartment, the two of them talking about everything and nothing at all.They were not far from her apartment when the evening’s brisk wind caused her to shiver even through her thick coat.

Armitage glanced at her as she adjusted her coat’s collar and rubbed her hands together.He placed both hands on her shoulders, halting her in her tracks.Rose looked up at him, wondering what he was getting at.Wordlessly, he pulled his scarf from around his neck, silencing her burgeoning objections with a look, and wrapped the red wool around her throat, before drawing a pair of black leather gloves from his coat pocket and gently slipping them onto her hands.He stood back from her, looking at her like a general inspecting his soldier’s uniform.He shifted the scarf so its ends were even, then tugged at the cuffs of the gloves, his fingertips grazing her inner wrist, sending a shiver through her that had nothing to do with the wind.Once she met his standards, the two resumed their walk.

“Thanks,” Rose murmured, her voice coming out more breathlessly than she would’ve liked.

“You’re welcome,” he softly replied.

“Won’t you feel cold?”She asked, concerned, not wanting him to get sick at her expense.

“No,” he laughed, even as he pulled up the collar of his own coat, “‘I’ve got my love to keep me warm,’” he sang.

Smiling, she ducked her head down, inadvertently burying her nose in his scarf.It was still warm from where it had been wrapped around its rightful owner’s neck, and as she involuntarily inhaled, she breathed in the scent of his cologne which she had become very familiar with over the last few weeks.It was a lot stronger on the wool than she was used to, and the association she had with that particular smell, to her irritation, made her shiver again.

His quick eyes caught sight of it again, and he sighed, saying, “Goodness.You must be freezing.”

Before she knew it, he deftly pulled her cello from her shoulders, placing the instrument on his own, then put his arm around her as they walked, rubbing his hand up and down her arm.She prayed to God he couldn’t feel how fast her heart was racing — he had to feel it — her left side was the one pressed against his, and she fought to keep from hyperventilating.Rose was consterned at herself; all these things she felt around this man were the complete opposite of what she felt when she first met him.If you told her several weeks ago that Armitage Weldon would send her heart racing, and make her short of breath, she would have laughed, then said, “Because I’m pissed off at him, that’s for sure.”, and not because she found herself so drawn to this charming, sensitive, and caring man. 

They walked on to her building, and they stood awkwardly on the stoop.“So…”

“So…,” he parroted.

“Thanks again for today… it really meant — means a lot to me,” she said, uncharacteristically looking shyly up at him.

He ducked his head, an embarrassed grin pulling at his lips.“You’re very welcome,” he said, upon looking up.

“I, uh, better get going.Um — ” she gestured to the instrument on his back.

He immediately moved to give her the cello, their fingers brushing over the handle, making Rose’s heart stumble.

Armitage flushed as he withdrew his hand, and he stepped back.“Well — goodnight, Rose.”

He had turned and was about to stride down the steps when she remembered that she was still wearing his scarf and gloves.“Armitage, wait!”She exclaimed.

He immediately spun on his heel, facing her.“Yes?”He called, an odd light in his eyes.

“I forgot,” she said, pulling his gloves off her hands.

“Ah,” she heard him breathe as he came back up.

She pressed the gloves into his hands, then unwound the scarf from around her throat.Taking both ends in her hands, she threw the length of wool up, to cast it around his neck.Inadvertently, she tugged the ends of the scarf with the force of her motion, lurching him down to her level. 

He was so close to her, she could feel his breath fan her cheeks, count the tiny freckles on his nose, and see the specks of silver-gray and blue in his eyes.She could wreck herself on the shore of this man if she wasn’t careful.As it was, he already held so much of her happiness, terrifying and exhilarating her.Rose let go of the scarf, but to her surprise, he didn’t immediately straighten.His lancing gaze searched hers, and she was frozen, caught.

In the blink of an eye, the moment snapped like a string stretched to its breaking point, and he straightened to his usual faultless posture, his expression warm.He cleared his throat before he said, “I hope that today was not so sad and lonely for you — I know I am a poor replacement for your sister.”

“Don’t do that, don’t put yourself down,” she shook her head.“I enjoyed today a lot.And while I miss my sister, I found your company more than enough.I almost forgot what today was with you.”Impulsively, she surged forward, and hugged him.“Thank you for giving me that,” she said into his chest.

“You’re very welcome, Rose,” he replied, as he tightly wrapped his arms around her.“Anything for… a friend.

Rose caught his hesitation on the word “friend”, filing it away, and could have sworn she felt him kiss the top of her head, but the touch was so light, it almost didn't register in her brain.

Eventually, she pulled back, and he immediately let her go, stepping back with a smile on his lips.

“Goodnight, Armitage,” she beamed.

He stared at her for a second, before he returned her smile with a nod, saying, “Rest well, Rose.”

She watched him lightly trot down the stone steps and stride off into the night, some part of her missing him already.

* * *

Armitage practically skipped all the way home, and as he did so, Armitage found his thoughts were filled with Rose.She was a woman unlike any he had ever met, and something about her called out to him, drawing him out of the misery he had gotten used to over the last several decades.Around her, he felt as if she had shone floodlights into the dark cloud that was his mind, and where he had once hated the idea of playing and rehearsing duets, he was looking forward to every single day he was lucky enough to spend with her.

With her, it all felt easy, it all felt right, even when she made him step out of his comfort zone.The whole day was evidence of that.He would gladly do again any of the things he had done the whole day, and in fact, if he were honest with himself, he would do anything for her, anything to keep that smile of hers on her face.He knew he would not be able to refuse her anything, even… no.He couldn’t, and wouldn’t go down that road.

He would stay her friend, and would only wish her happiness when she inevitably found someone to love, someone who would cherish her, treasure her, and keep her heart safe, someone who was better than him.He couldn’t and wouldn’t deserve her.Her friendship was already more than he ever imagined he would get.It was more than enough.He would make it _be_ enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Con affetto is a musical expression mark that directs the performer to play with affect (that is, with emotion).
> 
> For those of you who want to listen to the music mentioned in this fic, here’s the [Spotify playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1emzq7L1pGxsCRg0no1hKV?si=JbfMhok3R2W2QfY5HZgSCg)!
> 
> Come scream with me on [Tumblr](https://oh-great-authoress.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> Please read & review!


	7. Dolente / Amoroso

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose discovers why Armitage has bad memories of the “Liebestraum”, Armitage comes to a realization, and Rose has questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Majorly edited 1/9/21, please re-read from the start if you’ve already begun reading this!
> 
> Thank you to all of you who commented, left kudos, and bookmarked!
> 
> I appreciate all your support!

Their next several rehearsals were excellent, improvements coming left and right on a piece they could already play very well.At a certain point, there wasn’t really anything to improve, and they were just running down the rest of the time with conversation.It was in one of these rehearsals they found they hadn’t even run the piece once, the two of them having launched into an easy conversation the moment Rose entered the room.

“But I don’t want to run the piece, we’re just going to get tired of it — we can’t risk that,” she whimpered.

“Come on, Rose, just one time through.We can do it, we just need to be able to say we ran through it today.”

“I don’t wanna,” she replied, knowing that she was acting childishly.

“Come on, if you do, I’ll play anything you want me to,” he offered.

Now that was an offer she couldn’t refuse.She loved the way he played, and she had a feeling he knew that, which was why he made the offer in the first place.

“Okay, what’s the catch?”

“No catch.We play it once through, and I play anything you want.”

Restraining the devilish smirk that wanted to spread on her lips, she sat up straight, nodding that she was ready.

They played through it, producing a beautiful rendition of “Soledad” like she knew they would.

“Okay,” she said, as soon as the duet was over, “time for me to collect.”

“Alright,” he grinned, “what would you like me to play?”

Without hesitation, she said, ““Liebestraum no. 3”.”

His wide grin fell, and he took a breath.“That’s what you want me to play?Nothing else?”He asked, slightly desperately.

“Yeah.”

“You are absolutely sure?”

“Yes.”She didn’t understand his reluctance to play a piece he played amazingly.

He sighed, and ran his hand through his hair, staring at her.After a beat, he looked down, resignation on his features.

He set his hands on the keyboard and began to play it.

It was as beautiful and touching as she remembered, and when he finished playing it, to her shock and surprise, he brushed away tears.

“Armitage?What’s wrong?Are you alright?”She asked.

“I’m sorry, I just have difficult memories associated with it.”

She clapped a hand to her mouth.“I’m so sorry, I didn’t know.”

“It’s alright, you couldn’t have known.It was always a piece that could calm me, and more importantly — it was my mother’s favorite.I was sent to boarding school when I was seven, and I stayed there for most of the year, even in the summer, but for Christmas, I would have to go back to the Hux estate.Father would allow me to play the piano while I was there since it made him look good in front of his friends.All through my childhood, my mother was still employed by my father.I don’t know if it was cruelty or kindness that he kept her on the staff, since he never allowed us to see each other.But one day, we met when I was fourteen, as I was walking on the grounds of the estate.We spent what time we could together, and I will never forget our conversation before we parted. 

‘Armitage, what piece were you playing last night, after lunch?’She asked.

‘“Liebestraum no. 3”, Mother, by Liszt.’

‘It was so beautiful, that’s my favorite of everything I’ve ever heard you play.’

‘You heard me, Mother?’

‘Yes.Through the servant’s stairwell by the library.Mrs. Carter — ’ that was our housekeeper, ‘lets me stay there when you play.’

‘I’ll make sure to play it every day, then, Mother.’

‘Oh, you dear boy, I’m so proud of you.’

I played it every day I was at the estate.No one ever knew why I did it.And when she died, in my grief, I swore never to play it again.”

His story touched her gentle and sensitive heart.“Why didn’t you tell me to pick something else?”She said.

“I made a promise — it was what you wanted.”He continued in a voice slightly above a whisper, “And I am too weak.”

“What do you mean, weak?You’re one of the strongest people I know.”She concernedly asked as she moved to sit beside him on the piano bench.

He looked at her with an expression that was far more intent than anyone’s gaze had any right to be, a light in his eyes that shot a sharp shaft of feeling through her, saying, “I am too weak to refuse anything you ask of me.”

Breath rushed out of her at his statement, Rose suddenly keenly aware of him, his whole being filling her senses.Her world narrowed to her and him in that small practice room, and she didn’t care.Then, he looked away, breaking the thread of tension between them that had begun to stretch tightly, burying his head in his hands.

She heard his trembling breaths, and in a bold move, she put her hand on his shoulder, which made him slowly raise his head to look at her.

“Would you mind if I gave you some advice?”

“No.”

“I understand why you don’t want to play it.I understand your pain.For a long time, I couldn’t stand to eat Paige’s favorite foods, look at her pictures, play her favorite music from when we were young.But then I realized that the memories I made with her around those things were too good not to be remembered.So, maybe, what you could do, is remember the day you spent with her, and think about the happiness you gave her whenever you played her favorite piece,” she gently said.

“I wasn’t there when she died,” he whispered tearfully, pulling at her heartstrings.

“I’m sure she understands.You were working for your future, and you didn’t know she was dying.She’d be so proud of you, I just know it.She wouldn’t want you to be in pain like this.”

A quiet sob burst from his throat, tears sliding down his cheeks.Carefully, he extended a shaking hand, fingers spread, to her.A sad smile touching her lips, she slipped her hand into his, twining their fingers together, her senses acutely aware of how warm and soft his hand was in comparison to the roughness of hers from the strings of her cello.He looked down, his body leaning into hers, and as his tears quietly came, she drew his head to rest on her shoulder, the silence surrounding them comforting.

That evening, as they quietly parted, Rose knew that something had irreversibly changed between the two of them, and from this point on, nothing would be the same.

* * *

As he walked into the night, Armitage Weldon had time to realize two things. 

One, he felt lighter, like a burden had been lifted from him, the weight of the guilt he had borne for over eighteen years.

Two, he was in love with Rose Tico.

The rational part of him was trying to convince him that he couldn’t possibly be in love — he had only known her for nearly six weeks, and been her friend for almost the same time.And still, he knew his heart entirely belonged to Rose.She was everything he had never known he needed, and yet he was everything she did not deserve. 

He was a human disaster, with so many issues it was mind boggling, and attitude problems enough to put anyone off of him.

But she doesn’t seem to care about that, his heart whispered.

No.He wouldn’t, couldn’t put her through the trial of loving him.He would only hurt her if he did.It was enough to create music with her.He would put all his love for her into his music since he couldn’t give it to her.That would be his gift to Rose.And he promised himself he’d make it a good one, because his music, that, at least he could make worthy of her.

* * *

It was the third rehearsal of the orchestra with the Artists in Residence, and they were taking a break — Rose was at the snack table that Poe had brought that day, cup of Coke in hand, picking between the pastries from Maz’s when she saw felt someone behind her.Turning to see Ben behind her sheepishly gesture to the fruit bowl, she stepped back, allowing him to pick up two bananas.

“Your tone on the “Meditation” was incredible, Ben,” she complimented.Over the last few weeks, she and the painfully introverted man had become friends, and they bonded over their mutual love for Interstellar Conflict — she even managed to drag him into shipping Kira and Kylo Ren.Initially, he didn’t see it, but then she told him to rewatch the eighth movie in the Etherstrider Saga, “The Final Warrior”, with the Kiralo ship in mind, and by their next rehearsal, Rose was ten dollars richer, having won the bet that she couldn’t get him to ship Kira and Kylo.

“Hey, Rose.Your “Mon Coeur” was also amazing, don’t sell yourself short,” he replied.

“Thanks,” she happily said. 

Just then, she could feel the sensation of someone looking at her.She turned to see Armitage looking at her from the piano.As her gaze landed on him, his expression immediately shifted to a bright, wide smile.Rose returned it, sending him a cheerful wave.His smile shifted into a half-grin as he nodded at her.

“That’s a side of him few people get to see, you know,” Ben’s baritone broke through her thoughts.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“That.The smiling thing.Even around me, his best friend, he doesn’t smile like he does with you, you know.You mean something to him.”And with that cryptic statement, he crookedly smiled at her before walking away and sitting next to Rey.

Rose plucked two raspberry bear claws from the table and without even thinking about it, moved to sit next to Armitage, who, seeing her approach, immediately moved to make room for her on the small piano bench.It was a bit of a tight fit, but they managed. 

“Hi, Armie,” she impishly smiled.

He groaned, “Not you too?Ben gave me that horrible nickname in Juilliard and he hasn’t stopped calling me that.”

“It’s cute!”Rose protested.

“I sound eleven years old!”He turned to face her.“I’ll have you know, Miss Tico,” he continued mock-imperiously, poking fun at himself, “that I am a highly respected pianist!”

She lightly elbowed him, coaxing a bright and clear laugh from his lips.“Careful, I might fall over,” he said, grasping the music ledge.

“You’ve got it coming.”

He dramatically grasped his chest, “You wound me, madamoiselle.”

“Want one?It’s raspberry.”Rose proffered one of the bear claws.

At his nod, she handed him one of the pastries.They talked while eating, both careful not to get crumbs on the piano’s keys.They were almost finished when Rose observed, “You’re happy today, Armitage.”

He inclined his head towards her.“Well, I am doing what I love, and… I must say that the company is especially beautiful.”

Her mouth fell slack.He… thought she was beautiful?It made something short-circuit in her brain.Paige was the beautiful one, the one all the boys at school were falling over themselves just to make her look at them.Rose was the awkward music kid.

Before she could get her brain jump started again, Poe shouted, “Alright, everyone, I hope you’ve had enough snacks, let’s get back to making music!”

Armitage sent Rose a soft smile.“You’d better get back to your seat.”

She finally got enough air into her lungs to say, “Yeah.I’ll be… over there.”

Internally she cringed.Really, Rose?“I’ll be over there?”She berated herself for being so awkward, but Armitage didn’t seem to notice, and just nodded pleasantly at her before turning his attention back to the piano, shaking out his unfairly elegant hands to make sure they were relaxed.

Rose was in a contemplative haze the rest of the rehearsal, trying to figure out what posessed Armitage to call her beautiful.Surely he couldn’t… no.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dolente and amoroso are musical expression terms that tells the performer to play with sorrow and love, respectively.
> 
> For those of you who want to listen to the music mentioned in this fic, here’s the [Spotify playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1emzq7L1pGxsCRg0no1hKV?si=JbfMhok3R2W2QfY5HZgSCg)!
> 
> Come scream with me on [Tumblr](https://oh-great-authoress.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> Please read & review!


	8. Crescendo / Lamentando

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose speaks candidly with Ben, and a misunderstanding threatens Rose and Armitage’s potential happiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Majorly edited 1/9/21, please re-read from the start if you’ve already begun reading this!
> 
> Thank you to all of you who commented, left kudos, and bookmarked!
> 
> I appreciate all your support!

For the last several days, Rose was mulling over her thoughts.She wasn’t dumb — she knew that she was being increasingly awkward around Armitage, and she knew the reason.She liked him, and for all intents and purposes, it seemed that he liked her back.It just seemed a little bit… impossible. 

Armitage was a highly respected pianist, as he himself had put it, and he could have his pick of women.Why would he choose her?That was what was running through her mind as Rose eventually made her way to the hall, beginning her practice with Ben, and halfway through the “Gabriel’s Oboe”, he suddenly stopped, asking in that quiet, deep voice of his, “Are you okay, Rose?You’ve been really distracted since you got here.”

Embarrassed that Ben had caught her, she said, “I’m fine, Ben, just… worried about the concert.”

“You don’t have anything to worry about, our duet’s going to go really well, and I’ve heard your solo, it’s beautiful.And though I haven’t heard your duet with Armie, I’m sure since it’s the two of you, it can’t be anything but incredible.”

“Thank you, Ben.”

“You’re welcome.I have a feeling you’re afraid about something else, but I’ll let it go, since it’s none of my business.Just know that… I like you, and I consider you a friend, Rose, so you can tell me about what’s bothering you.”

And he looked at her with such a kind and understanding expression, that Rose couldn’t help but blurt, “I think I might like Armitage, and I don’t know if he likes me back.Kriff, I sound like a teenager,” she whispered, though they were the only ones in the hall.

Ben raised his eyebrows, a wide grin splitting his face.“Really?”

Rose sighed, “Yeah.”

Ben laughed, an infectious, low, deep sound that made her smile as well.

“I’m glad.He’s a good guy beneath all the spines, you know.Not many people have bothered to look past his prickly exterior, so I’m… happy, I guess.”

“You know, he said something similar to me about you, excepting the you know, prickly exterior.”

Ben looked a little touched by that, but he continued, “My advice, which you don’t have to take at all?Have an honest talk with him, you might be surprised.”

Rose frowned, “Did… did he say something to you when he came into the hall?”

“No, he didn’t.He didn’t have to.I could see something was different about him, and to be honest, something’s been different about him for a while.He’s been… happier, less uptight.”

“What?”She frowned, a sliver of something creeping into her heart, and illuminating her face.

“Yeah.Now, how about we finish up this practice?”He smiled.

Rose’s rehearsal with Ben again went well, the two confident that they would have an excellent performance in the concert.

Rose walked out of Mothma Hall, feeling lighter than air, when a call of her name broke her reverie.

She turned to see an old, good friend of hers from Curtis, Chris Madine Jr., who had become a flutist with the Berlin Philharmonic.

He had made no secret of his affection for Rose in Curtis, but she felt nothing more than friendship for him, which made her sad for his sake, because he was a really good person.

“Chrissy!What are you doing here?”

“I had some time off, so I thought I’d visit an old friend,” he said, moving his hand so she could see the splints on his right thumb and index finger.

“What happened to you?”Rose cried, shocked at his injury.

“I slipped coming out of the shower, and I tried to catch myself.Bad idea.”

“So you decided to come to Chandrila,” she tentatively said, trying not to give him the wrong impression.

“Yeah, and I wanted to talk to you.”

“Chris,” she murmured.

“Not… not like that, I wanted to talk to you as a friend.Nothing more.”

At the look on his face, she sighed.He never could lie to her.If he only wanted to be her friend now, she couldn’t be happier that he had gotten over her.

“Okay.There’s a place nearby, come on.”

The two of them walked out of the Windu Center, neither of them noticing the red-headed pianist standing, out of earshot, in a shadowed corner by the entrance of Mothma Hall.

Sitting in Maz’s, the cozy cafe she loved, she waited for Chris to begin as she cradled her hot mocha latte.

“I’m in love, Rose,” he smiled giddily.

“With whom?”

“Anna, she was my doctor at the hospital when I broke my fingers.I don’t really have friends I could talk to about her in Berlin, not friends like you.So… I’m here.”

“It’s quite a trip to make to gush about the girl you like, Chris,” she smiled.

“Eh, the Philharmonic pays me enough to do this.Plus, I missed talking with you.”

Rose’s smile turned a little sad.“I’m sorry I haven’t kept in touch.I just didn’t want to keep hurting you.”

“I know.And… I’m glad you didn’t.I think that distance helped.”Chris looked openly at her, a soft look in his silver-gray eyes.

The silence between them was thick but not uncomfortable, though Rose soon broke it, saying, “Tell me about Anna?”

They spent the afternoon talking about Anna, and just reconnecting after so long.Rose was so happy for Chris, she had felt so bad for him when he told her how he felt two weeks before graduation.She’d never forget the look on his face when she told him she only wanted to be his friend.He made a valiant effort of accepting that, trying to keep their last two weeks as unawkward as possible, but she knew she had broken his heart.Now, he was happy and Rose prayed this girl wouldn’t hurt him as she unintentionally had.

“You’re sure she likes you, Chris?”Rose asked, as they walked to her apartment.

“Yeah, I think so, we’ve talked after I was discharged, I took her out for coffee to thank her for treating me.Twice.And I might have given her thank you flowers too,” he bashfully said.

“Okay,” she brightly said, “you’re a regular Casanova, aren’t you?”Rose teased.

“Hardly,” he replied, bumping her shoulder playfully.Growing serious, he said, “I’ve really missed this, Rose.I’ve missed you.”

Rose’s smile fell, and she felt her eyes grow glassy.“I’ve missed you too.I’m really sorry, you know,” she said, knowing he would understand what she was referring to.

He stopped walking and turned to face her, a slight, sad smile on his lips.“Water under the bridge, Rose.But if it makes you feel better, I forgive you, I think I forgave you that same day actually.”

She laughed waterily, “You’re too good.”

He said nothing to that, just chuckled and continued walking.When he next spoke, he asked, “Do you think I could see you again tomorrow?I was hoping we could go around the city, see the sights.I hear Chandrila has some really good museums.”

“Yeah, of course, I have a late morning rehearsal tomorrow, but I should be out by two.I know exactly where I’ll take you.The Naberrie Foundation has some pieces I know you’ll love.”

“I saw the poster for your concert in the atrium.It’s in a couple weeks, right?”

“It is, did you want to come?”

“No, I’m going to be back in Berlin by then, I leave next week.”

“Well, we’ll just have to get through every museum in the city in a few days, then,” Rose beamed, glad to have one of her best friends back in her life.

Over the next few days, she quickly exited her rehearsals, even her ones with Armitage — especially her ones with him, because she didn’t want to run the risk of him seeing Chris, knowing her closeness with him could give Armitage the wrong impression.

One day, as they were walking through the Chandrila Metropolitan Museum of Art, Chris suddenly asked, “Why do you always run out of Windu Center like a bat out of Mustafar?”

Kriff, he noticed.“It’s not that I don’t want to be seen with you, it’s just that, well, I guess it’s kinda like that.But it’s not because of you.Well, I guess it kinda is because of you.Damn it, I’m not explaining myself well,” she muttered, exasperatedly running her hand through her long hair.

Chris laughed, putting his hands in his pockets, saying, “I’m not quite sure if I should be insulted or not.”

“Can I be frank?”

“I want to make a joke about that right now, but you look mortified at the moment, so I’ll hold off.Shoot.”

Rose began explaining the circumstances leading to the concert, and then the story of her and Armitage.

“So, you like your duet partner, and you’re pretty sure he likes you back, so you don’t want him to get the wrong impression if he sees us,” Chris summarized.

“Yep.”

He nodded thoughtfully, “Armitage Hux.I’ve heard the name.He’s a renowned pianist.”He sighed, then continued, “I just need to know one thing, Rose.Is he a good man?”

Rose knew her expression had turned dreamy, but she didn’t care.“Yes, yes, he is, Chris.”

“That’s good.I want you to be happy, Rose.It’s all I’ve ever wanted for you.”

Rose sniffled, gently nudging him.“Anna’s a very lucky woman.”

“You think she’ll like the pendant we picked yesterday?”He asked, generously changing the subject, referring to the small flower necklace she had helped him pick out for her.

“I’m sure she’ll love it.”

“I hope so.”

The two friends enjoyed the last day before he had to return to Berlin.

* * *

Armitage knew it.Or rather, he should have known.Known that a woman like Rose would already be involved with someone else.He knew something was up after seeing her with that man several days ago.And every day after that, she would be in such a rush to leave the rehearsal, a veritable whirlwind as she practically ran out of the practice room.He knew he was setting himself up for heartbreak, but as he walked out of the hall not far behind her, he forced himself to watch as she hugged and smiled at that other man, to remind him that she wasn’t his, and never would be.

The anger and pain and searing jealousy that rose up in him at that sight clawed at his chest, wanting to be released, but the coldly logical part of him knew his deficiencies, knew she was better off without him.She was better off without him, that was his new mantra.And he’d tell it to himself for as long as he needed to, until, somehow, he managed to convince himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A crescendo indicates to the performer that their playing should get gradually louder.
> 
> Lamentando is a musical expression term that indicates that the performer should play mournfully.
> 
> For those of you who want to listen to the music mentioned in this fic, here’s the [Spotify playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1emzq7L1pGxsCRg0no1hKV?si=JbfMhok3R2W2QfY5HZgSCg)!
> 
> Come scream with me on [Tumblr](https://oh-great-authoress.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> Please read & review!


	9. Appassionato

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The concert, and the grand finale.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Majorly edited 1/9/21, please re-read from the start if you’ve already begun reading this!
> 
> Thank you to all of you who commented, left kudos, and bookmarked!
> 
> I appreciate all your support!
> 
> Without further ado, here’s the last chapter of my fic!

_The Day of the Concert_

The remaining weeks before the concert passed so quickly, and in that time, with every interaction, as she saw more and more of him, into his heart, Rose’s crush went all the way past crush — she was in love with Armitage Weldon.And she still had not told him she liked him, much less that she loved him.Every time, every day she was going to say it, she lost her nerve, always telling herself there’d be a tomorrow.Well, after tonight, her tomorrows were going to come to an end.It was this night or never.

Rose hurried into her dressing room, deftly avoiding the reporters clamoring to get into Ben or Rey’s dressing room.Ever since the two of them were caught by reporters having dinner, they had had to act fast to limit the gossip, both of them coming out with a press release that yes, they were dating, which sent more journalists than anyone could have anticipated into a frenzy.Who knew that that many people covered the arts? 

It still made Rose laugh to know that Rey was dating the son of their orchestra’s owner.Rey had told her during a Girl’s Night not long after Rose and Armitage caught them in Gerrera Park, which had made her spit out her moscato.

“Seriously?”

“Dead serious,” Rey amusedly replied.

Rey launched into this complicated story about Mrs. Organa wanting Ben to seek his own path, after his being second chair in New Republic Philharmonic for three years to Ahsoka Tano, who was at the time, concertmaster and soloist for New Republic.Leia knew Ben had the talent to go beyond second chair, so she encouraged him to leave New Republic, which set him on the path to becoming Ben Solo, world-renowned violinist.

Rose didn’t envy the press the two of them were getting — the couple already dubbed in the classical music world as “Reylo”.Though she did find herself wishing that she and Armie, as she had taken to calling him, like Ben did, could have the same thing.The relationship, that was, not the publicity.

She took a deep breath, setting down her instrument, and putting her garment bag on the rack near the door.She knew her performances today would be good, all the rehearsals proved that.This was going to be a night of beautiful music, but the fear and anxiety was churning in the pit of her stomach, which had more to do with her love life, or lack thereof, than anything else.She had to find a way to decompress and let go of this stress for the concert, or she would not play as well as she knew she could.She would have to put Armitage out of her mind at least until the concert’s end, which was no easy feat when she would be playing a duet with him.

So she sat down, the sounds of a busy performance hall at the beginning of a concert in the background of her thoughts.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Enric Pryde and Leia Organa walked onstage to the applause of an absolutely packed Mothma Hall, all dressed in black tie formal.Leia raised her hand for silence, and immediately the hall fell quiet.

“To everyone gathered here tonight, I’d like to welcome you to New Republic Philharmonic and First Order Symphony’s concert, Soothe the Savage Breast.Mr. Pryde and I know there was a lot of controversy surrounding Mr. Trooper’s departure from First Order, but this evening just goes to show that the power and force of music is far stronger than any differences any of us may have, as Mr. Solo and Ms. Palpatine’s relationship can attest,” she laughed, gesturing at Enric.

“Yes, that did surprise us all,” he smiled, “but we at First Order and New Republic do wish them the best.However,I digress.Music is a universal language, one that everyone can speak, no matter their native tongue.Tonight, we have gathered the best of the best as a show of unity, and to make wonderful music for your enjoyment.Because at the end of the day, we are all musicians, whether we be First Order or New Republic, dedicated to make the world a more beautiful and harmonious place.”

Leia continued, “This evening, we hope that through this music, you may be able to escape the troubles of your daily life, and find peace, as we formerly rival orchestras have, even if it’s only for two hours.In closing, we’d like to thank you all for coming to support us, and we’d like to thank Senator Holdo and Mayor Calrissian, as well as our esteemed guests for their presence tonight — it is an honor that you took time out of your busy schedules to be here with us.

Without further ado,” she glanced at Enric, and in unison they said, “enjoy the show!”

* * *

_In The Dressing Rooms, During the Intermission_

Rose was pacing up and down her dressing room.Rey and Ben had come into her room earlier, the two of them already dressed, Rey in a red one-shoulder gown, Ben in his tux, to say hello and to see how she was doing, since because of the press, they couldn’t leave their rooms without being swarmed. 

After their short visit, Rose had opened her garment bag to discover, to her dismay, that she had picked the wrong garment bag.Instead of the one carrying her long-sleeved cream and pearl gray gown, this revealed one she had worn to an event a couple of years ago, a black sequined off-the-shoulder gown.This was just perfect.Now in addition to the stress she felt about her feelings, she was left with no choice but to wear the gown in her garment bag, already much too late to retrieve the correct one. 

This especially broke her heart because the construction of the dress made it so that she would not be able to wear her pendants, the risk of them hitting the cello and making noise inevitable, and she had never performed without wearing them, without that piece of her sister near her heart.She had already put the dress on and arranged her hair, which she curled for the concert, sadly running her fingers over the pendants which she would have to remove, when another knock sounded at her door. 

Thinking it was Jessika Pava, the PA Mrs. Organa had assigned her for the concert, she opened the door with an exasperated tone, “Jessika, you don’t have to check on me every — “ only to find the other object of her stress standing at her door.

Armitage was dressed in very fine form today, his hair combed neatly away from his face, the ever-present scent of bergamot hanging in the air about him.Rose’s breath involuntarily caught as she took it all in. 

“Rose, how are you?” He asked, a gentle smile on his face.

She coughed, forcing air back into her lungs.“Fine, and how are you?”

“Good, thank you.You look beautiful.”

“Thank you,” she replied, his compliment taking her mind off of her pendant dilemma for a second, opening the door wider to let him in.

“I… I just wanted to ask… if you were nervous,” he spoke, standing somewhat awkwardly by the couch in the room.

“Nervous?”Ooh.This was hitting a little too close to subjects she wasn’t sure she wanted to talk about right this second.“Well, I think you have to have a healthy ‘fearful’ respect for the stage, you know?You can’t be all cocksure that nothing’s going to go wrong.But if something does go wrong, it’s your job to make it look like there was no mistake. And you need confidence in your skill to do that.But what back to what I was saying, about a ‘fearful’ respect for the stage, to me, you have to have that ‘fear’ in you, but you can’t let it paralyze you.If it paralyzes you, that’s unhealthy.Once you step onto that stage, you have to let that ‘fear’ go.Because if you bring it with you, you’re disrespecting the stage and yourself.You’re disrespecting it and yourself because it means you don’t trust your skills and your training.Your skills and training brought you onto that stage, and you owe it to everyone out there to give them everything in you except your fear.They don’t need your fear.They want your heart and soul.They deserve your heart and soul.You know what I mean?”She knew she was rambling, but she couldn’t help it, with everything that was going on with her emotions, her clothing situation, and most especially, the man standing across from her.

He inclined his head, lips parted.“That… that’s wonderful insight, Rose.I must, in all honesty, admit to feeling a bit of that paralyzing fear you spoke of.”

She scoffed, smiling.“You, Armitage?You — you’re amazing.I’ve heard your recording of “La Campanella”, it’s stunning.You don’t have any reason to let yourself get paralyzed.You are the most talented pianist I have ever heard, and I‘ve heard a lot of them.No one else puts themselves into a piece like you do.”

He looked at the floor, and Rose could swear that his eyes had become slightly glassy.“Thank you, Rose.”

“If anything, I’m the one who should be worrying,” she replied, leaning against the vanity table, again running her fingers against her pendants.

“What’s wrong, Rose?I heard your solo days ago, and we practiced “Soledad” two days ago.They’re perfect.”

“It’s not the performances, really.It’s stupid, Armie.”

“Nothing’s stupid if it’s upsetting you this much.” He stepped closer to her.

“It’s my dress.”

“You look a goddess incarnate.”

His compliment nearly stole her breath again, but she continued, “It’s the wrong dress.I took the wrong garment bag, I can’t wear my pendants onstage with an off-the-shoulder gown, they’ll make noise when they hit the cello, and they will.It’ll be my only performance where I don’t wear them, where… where my sister’s not with me.I know she’s not the pendant, but… I told you it was stupid,” she said, looking up to blink back the tears that were threatening to ruin her mascara.

“It’s not stupid,” he whispered, sounding much closer to her than he was a second ago.

She looked down to see him an arm’s length away, hands clasped behind his back, the cogs visibly spinning in his mind.She could see the exact moment he hit on an idea, with the spark that that lit up his pale green eyes.

“I have an idea.Do you trust me?”

She grinned, remembering herself asking him that same question, on that night which seemed like yesterday, and yet also seemed like an eternity ago.“Entirely,” Rose replied, repeating what he had said in response to her asking that question, and also completely meaning it.

He laughed, obviously remembering the same thing she had.“For tonight, you give me the pendants.I’ll place them in my breast pocket, and for your solo, I’ll make sure to stand on stage left, where you can see me, so that even though you’re not wearing them, it’ll be like she’s still there onstage with you.And of course, I’ll be there when we play “Soledad” and “Hoedown”, so she’ll be with you the whole concert.”

She swiped at her eyes, the tears definitely coming now.This was the most touching thing anyone had ever done for her.If she hadn’t been in love with him before, she most certainly was now.“That’s perfect, Armie.Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Rose.”And he extended his hand, palm up.

She took the first, then the second pendant off, holding them for a second.She had never given them like this to anyone who was not family.But she knew she could trust him with this.This and so much more, if he was willing.She put them into his outstretched hand, curling his fingers over the skin-warmed gold.

“Keep them safe?”She asked.

“Of course.”And he placed them, as he promised, in his breast pocket.Patting the place where they rested, he gently said, “There, nothing will harm them as long as I have them.”

She took a breath, her heart pounding out a march, something undefinable telling her he meant so much more than the pendants.“Oh, Armitage,” she breathed, looking deeply into his eyes.

He suddenly stepped even closer to her, an overwhelmed look on his face.“Rose,” he said reverently, “Rose, I must tell you something.I’ve tried to keep this to myself, but in this, I cannot help being selfish.I do not deserve you, but you have my heart more than I ever thought it was possible for someone to claim it.I hope, despite my faults, that you love me back, though I understand if you choose someone else.If you don’t feel the same, you only have to tell me, and I will not disturb you again.”

Rose’s jaw dropped, delighted shock that he loved her coursing through her.

Unfortunately, he seemed to misunderstand her shocked expression for one of disgust.And in an attempt to save what he thought was left of his dignity, he stepped back, stiffly saying, “I apologize for disturbing you, Miss Tico, I will take my leave.”

And he turned to go, but not before her hand shot out and pulled him back to her, Rose using the extra height her heels gave her, and the element of surprise to draw him down into a kiss. 

It took a second for him to respond to her, but when he did, it was as if a dam had burst, his passion on the piano nothing, nothing compared to the ardor with which he kissed her.Her senses were overpowered — all she was conscious of was him: his scent, his embrace, his kiss, the searing touch of his hands on her back and neck, the feeling of his hair beneath her fingers.In that moment, she couldn’t have cared less that there was a concert to perform. 

When they parted, lungs burning, he incredulously gasped, “You — you feel the same?”

Rose smiled, “Yes, I’ve wanted to tell you for what feels like an age.”

“What about your… friend?”

“Who?”

The man I’ve seen you with the last few days.”

Rose winced.“You saw that?”

He nodded.

“Chris is just an old friend from Curtis.We haven’t seen each other in years.He’s only a friend, nothing more, I promise.”

She could see the relief which quickly shifted to awe, which was on every single feature of his face as his hand whispered over her hair.“How?How can you love me?I’m a human mess, I was horrible to you, I — I do not deserve you.”

Rose placed her hand over his heart, saying, “Why don’t you let me decide what it is I deserve, Armitage?”

He put his hand over hers where it laid on his heart, “This.This is yours.This miserable heart became yours before I knew it.”

Rose grinned waterily, incredibly touched by his words.“Don’t call your heart miserable.The heart of the man I love is a beautiful thing — bruised and hurt, but still beautiful.Do you accept my heart?”

He laughed, caressing her cheek, “Without question.You’ve made me happier than I thought I could ever be, my flower.”

“Flower?”She asked, slightly giddy.

“Yes, my flower, my everything.”He laughed, saying, “See what you’ve done?You’ve made a romantic out of me.”

She was about to reply with a pithy remark when a knock sounded on her door.“Miss Tico?”It was Jessika.“I’m just lettting you know that intermission just finished, and if you want, you could already make your way to the stage.”

In response, she shouted, “Thank you, I’ll be right up.”

Rose took a deep breath, straightening the lapels of his jacket and his bow tie before saying, “Are you ready?”

“With you, I feel ready for anything.”

Rose was halfway to the door when Armitage suddenly took her into his arms and gently kissed her, inconceivably sweet and tender.

“What was that for?”She breathlessly asked, when he drew back.

“Nothing, nothing at all,” he grinned, tracing her cheekbones.

They walked out of her dressing room side by side, walking close enough to each other that their hands occasionally grazed each other, exchanging little secretive smiles at each contact.

By the time they got to the stage, Ben was almost through his solo, Rey dreamily watching from stage left.All too soon, Rey was onstage, playing the “Zigeunerweisen”.

As Rey hit her final pizzicato, Rose suddenly realized something, which made a boisterous laugh slip from her lips. 

Armitage quizzically turned to her.“What is it?”

“I just realized that my solo, in the opera it came from, is a love song,” she said, as she took his hand in hers.“I’ll be playing it for you,” she murmured, separating their linked hands at the last possible second.

Rey’s applause had long since died down, and Rose stepped onto the stage, instrument in hand.After taking her seat, and finding her calm, she raised her head, and the gentle strains of the introduction sounded, bringing a bright and joyous expression to her face. 

Rose put everything she felt into her performance, infusing it with her joy, her passion, her love, her very heart into it, as she never had before.She kept her eyes out towards the darkened hall, even through the orchestral interludes, not wanting to risk glancing to where she knew he stood, watching her.

The applause she received at the end of the performance was roaring, and a small giggle bubbled from her throat as she bowed, high on the adrenaline of another successful performance and her feelings.

She glanced to her left, finally allowing herself to look at Armitage.

He looked at her as if she had hung the sun, moon and stars, his love for her unashamedly on display, making her glad she had restrained herself from looking at him during her performance.Rose bowed a final time, before practically running offstage.

As soon as he could, he took her hands in his, pressing featherlight kisses to the back of her hands, saying, “Rose, my words are failing me — breathtaking doesn’t begin to describe your performance.You were — “

“Mr. Hux, you must go onstage now,” the stage manager, Beaumont Kin, hastily murmured, interrupting. 

Armitage glanced between Rose and Beaumont, torn between immediately going onstage and continuing to talk to her.

Finally, she placed a hand on his cheek, making him look at her.“Go.I’ll be here.”

Nodding, he reluctantly turned, straightening his back to his impeccable posture as he strode onstage.

Having bowed, he took his seat on the piano bench, and… did nothing.Rose stepped forward, still obscured by the thick velvet curtains, looking concernedly at him.He looked uncertain, and Rose could hear the whispers in the hall begin to rise.

Like a deer frozen in the headlights, he met her gaze from his seat at the gleaming black Steinway.She knew his piece was challenging — not everyone could play Liszt’s “La Campanella”, but when he did, he made it sound effortless, and there was no doubt that it was one of the best show pieces in his repertoire.Still, she gave him an encouraging smile, letting the emotion in her heart show in the way she looked at him.Seeming to draw strength from her gaze, he placed his hands on the keyboard.

He took a deep breath, resolve creeping into the way he set his shoulders.And he began to play.To Rose’s surprise, the piece that came from the piano was most certainly not “La Campanella”.It was not “La Campanella”, but “Liebestraum no. 3”.

Her jaw dropped and her hand flew to her mouth.She was dimly aware of the whispers and murmurs in the hall rising to a fever pitch as the audience realized that he was not playing the piece listed in the program, but instead, a piece he had never before played for the public.It was a beautiful moment for the audience, but for Rose, it was even more so.She could hardly believe her ears.Impossibly, it was even more beautiful than all the times she heard him play it, every note tugging at her heart.And as he glanced up at her repeatedly while he played, a quietly loving smile touching his lips, she knew he played it for both his mother and for her.

The final chord drifting through the air, the audience of Mothma Hall immediately leapt from their seats, giving him a standing ovation.

When he returned backstage, Rose flew at him, hugging him tightly.“Oh, Armitage, that was beyond beautiful!I can’t believe you played that!What made you do it?”

“You made me see my memories of that piece in a completely different light, and you made it even more precious to me.It was time for me to let go of my pain.I played it for my mother, and for you,” he whispered into her ear.

Her heart melted at his words, and she barely restrained herself from kissing him again, knowledge of the ongoing concert the only thing preventing her from doing so.

The concert continued, the “Navarra” full of playful tension, her and Ben’s “Gabriel’s Oboe” majestic and poignant, Rey and Armitage’s “Kreutzer” a masterclass in how piano and violin playing should be.

Soon, it was time for Rose and Armitage to play “Soledad”.The two of them were very restrained onstage, but it was clear to see, if anyone was looking closely, that there was something deeper between cellist and pianist than just a duet partnership, their glances and touches as they held each other’s hands while bowing a just a little bit too charged.They played their duet with an entirely new energy than when they were rehearsing it.Somehow, a piece full of melancholy turned into something entirely different, something passionate, languid, and spellbinding, like two lovers in conversation.

Together, they unknowingly created an atmosphere in the hall that made almost every member of the audience feel as if they were intruding on something that was not meant for their eyes, and yet they were riveted, unable to look away.The applause was resounding, and the smiles on their faces as they looked at each other only confirmed for the observant in the audience what was between them.

The “Swan Lake” was graceful and magnificent, the arrangement making their four instruments sound as close to an orchestra as they could get, and in no time, the orchestra and the Artists in Residence were gathered to play “Hoe Down”.Gwen and Poe did a remarkable job with it, displaying remarkable teamwork that Rose never would have believed them capable of weeks ago. 

The energetic finale of the concert led to a three minute long standing ovation, the applause only stopping when Mrs. Organa and Mr. Pryde stepped onstage to deliver their closing remarks.

Immediately after, and without a word in edgewise, Rose was quickly shuffled along to the afterparty, the two owners of the orchestras not wanting anyone to be late.Across the busy reception hall, she could see Armitage standing beside Ben and Rey, as they greeted the long stream of people congratulating them.Eventually, the stream of people wanting to congratulate the Artists in Residence dissipated, and they were free to mingle.Rose held a flute of champagne in her hand, looking around for Armitage.As she searched for him, she collided with someone, just barely stopping her champagne from spilling on them. 

“Whoa there,” Ben said, steadying her.

“I’m sorry, Ben, I wasn’t looking where I was going,” she exclaimed.

“No harm done,” he jovially replied.“You were spectacular tonight.You and Armie.”

“Thank you, Ben.You and Rey were amazing as well.”

“Thanks,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.After a beat, he said, “And if you’re looking for Armie, try the mezzanine.”

“How — “ Rose frowned, surprised.

“I’m happy for the two of you,” he murmured, before nodding and walking off.

It really is the quiet ones, Rose thought, shaking her head, as she made her way to the mezzanine. 

As she came up the steps, she heard voices. 

“That truly was an amazing performance of the “Liebestraum”, Armitage, I really must commend you on that, but please, in the future, for my sake, try not to make any changes to the program?”

“Thank you, Enric, I’ll be sure to keep your request in mind.”

Rose came up the steps just in time to see Mr. Pryde head for the opposite staircase that would take him back down to the party.

“Hi,” she smiled, prompting Armitage to turn, a soft look on his face.

“Hi,” he replied, almost shy.

“I’ve never known you to be lost for words.”

“I’ve never been in love with such an amazing woman before,” he grinned.

“Smooth,” she said, as she stepped into his space, shaking a finger at him.

He caught her hand before she could lower it, pulling her willingly into an embrace. 

“Did Mr. Pryde give you a hard time?”She asked, wrapping her arms around him.

“He was understandably shocked when I didn’t play the “La Campanella”, but the fact that I world premiered my rendition of the “Liebestraum” at this particular concert made up for it.”

“I’m glad.”

“You should be enjoying the party, love.Enjoying the fruits of your labor,” he murmured against her hair.

“I could say the same about you.”

“I hate these parties, there’s always too many people, and they always want to make uncomfortable small talk.”Rose could literally hear the frown in his voice.

“You don’t have a problem talking to me,” she said, pulling back slightly to show off her raised eyebrow.

“You’re you, and they’re them,” he replied, looking deeply into her eyes.“Rose,” he whispered, “I think I am going to kiss you now.”

She smiled, saying, “What are you waiting for, then?”

Where their first kiss had been passionate, and their second kiss had been sweet and tender, their third was somehow a combination of both.

* * *

Armitage was lightheaded from it all, coherent thought nonexistent, his mind only registering thoughts relating to the woman in his arms.

Somehow, Rose had managed to reach even the parts of him he had thought lost, healing the hurts he had thought irreparable.She made him a better man, something he had cynically never thought he’d be.She was a miracle, and somehow, incomprehensibly, she was his.

“What’s wrong, I can feel you thinking,” Rose murmured.

“I was just thinking about how you are too good for me.”

She took his head in her hands, making him look at her.“You listen to me, Armitage Weldon.You are a good man, and you deserve love.Do you believe me?”

“I believe you.”He’d believe anything she told him, even if she said up was down, and left was right.

He glanced towards the party, finding the prospect of going back highly unappealing.“You know, instead of going back to the party, I was thinking about leaving.”

“What about me?”She asked, eyes sparkling with mirth.

“Oh, I’d take you along, I suppose,” he deadpanned.

She chuckled, saying, “Where’d you go?”

“Why don’t you pick?” 

The next thing he knew, he was running down the steps of the Windu Center, their twinned laughter singing through the night air, his hand tightly clasped in hers, knowing that he’d go anywhere she led him, and happily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Appassionato is a musical expression mark that tells the performer to play passionately.
> 
> For those of you who want to listen to the music mentioned in this fic, here’s the [Spotify playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1emzq7L1pGxsCRg0no1hKV?si=JbfMhok3R2W2QfY5HZgSCg)!
> 
> Come scream with me on [Tumblr](https://oh-great-authoress.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> Please read & review!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Musica Dell’amore](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28709940) by [Mezo_Phane](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mezo_Phane/pseuds/Mezo_Phane)




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